Source: The Verge
Modern vehicles generate exhaustive behavioral data—location, driving patterns, phone contacts, brake usage—that manufacturers collect, package, and monetize with minimal transparency or meaningful consent from drivers. The asymmetry is stark: while consumers worry about smartphone privacy, they have almost no visibility into or control over automotive data flows, and regulatory frameworks like GDPR haven't caught up to the fact that cars are now persistent tracking devices on four wheels. Legacy automakers have a structural advantage entering the data business. But consumer backlash is accelerating, and disclosure standards and user controls will eventually emerge—pressures that threaten the projected $10B+ automotive data market.