How to Wipe Your Car Data!
Cars are no longer dumb machines -- They're smart devices with hundreds of computers bolted on top that collect information about our activities. Some car companies have even explicitly said in their privacy policies that they collect information about your sexual activity!
Given that so much information is stored in our car, what happens when we sell it? Do we just hand this sensitive information off to the next owner? And given the remote capabilities of modern cars, how do we make sure the previous owner can't still access our data when we buy a used car?
So this week on our channel we posted Part 2 of our car privacy series. As I explained in Part 1, this started out as a small video concept, but once I got into the car-surveillance rabbit hole it exploded into a massive 6-part series that we’re still in the process of researching and rolling out.
We released Part 2 this week, and I was once again joined by car privacy experts Andrea Amico, Dale “Woody” Wooden, and Sam Curry. We talk specifically about used cars, and essential steps you must take when you buy or sell a used car.
Quick Tips:
Selling your car:
Delete the data from the head unit first.
There are free guides that you can follow from websites like Privacy4Cars. You may even consider replacing the whole head unit.
Buying a used car:
Plant your flag by downloading the car app and disconnecting any existing devices that have been synced to the vehicle.
If you don’t plan to use the app, consider downloading it on a separate device that you don’t carry around with you, because they are usually invasive into your privacy.
If you have trouble signing up on the app, it may be a sign that someone else still has access to it.
Call your dealership and manufacturer to find out what monitoring services your car has been signed up for.
There are also automated services that will contact your dealership and manufacturer on your behalf at vehicleprivacyreport.com and privacy4cars.com.
Now this doesn’t solve the problem of car data collection, but it’s a great start.
In our next video in this car privacy series we’ll talk about things that you can do to make your current car more private, like the complicated (and often unsuccessful) process of disabling the WiFi and SIM, and understanding the privacy tradeoffs of the remote services that you sign up for.
If you find our tips useful, please spread the word!
Privacy Matters.
Thanks for supporting NBTV.
Yours in privacy,
Naomi