Ford's Privacy Pledge: A Shield Against Data Broker Scandals

Ford has pledged to never sell customer driving data to third-party data brokers, a move The Verge reports is an attempt to differentiate the company from competitors facing regulatory scrutiny over telematics sharing.

According to The Verge, the announcement comes after General Motors agreed to a $220 million settlement over claims it illegally sold driver and location information to data brokers. That settlement mandates GM limit its data collection and secure "express consent" from drivers. The industry at large faces significant criticism; a Mozilla report cited by The Verge labeled connected cars the worst product category for privacy, noting 84 percent of reviewed automakers share user data with outside parties.

Kristin Jones, Ford's chief privacy officer, stated in a blog post that protecting personal information is how the company intends to earn customer trust. Ford says it will utilize anonymizing and aggregating techniques and allow customers to adjust their data-sharing preferences. However, The Verge notes that opting out of tracking often disables critical vehicle features, including remote start, wireless software updates, and built-in navigation.

While the Federal Trade Commission can penalize companies for deceptive public claims, The Verge highlights that Ford's official privacy policy and connected vehicle terms serve as the actual legal agreements. These documents include standard exceptions allowing Ford to share data with outside service providers or to comply with police requests.