Your connected car knows more about your daily driving habits than you realize. This is why Ford unveiled its new Privacy Promise to keep your vehicle data safe and let you control what you share. It explains what information connected vehicles collect, why they need it, and how owners can manage their privacy settings.
What information does Ford collect from your car?
Ford says its connected vehicles collect three types of information: vehicle diagnostics, driving characteristics, and location data. The automaker uses this information to power features such as embedded navigation, real-time traffic updates, and Roadside Assistance. This data also helps Ford troubleshoot problems, improve future vehicles, and personalize your driving experience.
Ford says it has built privacy protections for the data, such as anonymizing or grouping data to reduce exposure of personal information. According to industry polling, only 14% of customers fully understand what their car collects. Meanwhile, Ford surveyed over 1,000 consumers for this launch and found 91% believe data privacy is a key consideration when choosing a vehicle.
Chief Privacy Officer Kristin Jones told TechCrunch it felt important to be upfront with customers, not just about Ford’s practices but with an actual commitment behind them. The timing is also notable, since Ford’s upcoming connected EVs will generate even more data than before.
What happens when you opt out of data sharing?
Ford says it will never sell your driving data to brokers or insurers, and its new website lets you adjust privacy settings anytime. However, opting out comes with trade-offs. Turning off connected services can disable features such as BlueCruise, internet connectivity, and vehicle location services in the Ford app. Real-time navigation and built-in roadside assistance may also stop working.
You can adjust what you share anytime through your vehicle’s center display or the Ford app. If your Ford was built in 2018 or later, you can manage these settings right from your vehicle’s screen. Ford’s privacy resources for Lincoln owners, and those residing in Mexico & Canada, are rolling out in the coming weeks, with more countries expected afterward.
RELATED COVERAGE: