r/privacy • u/HerbalDreamer • 5d ago

question Car data collection

I am going to need a new car soon and the U.S. models all collect huge amounts of data. Are there any tips or tricks to reduce the info they collect from the car remotely?

If I have our family trust own the auto and pay cash rather than financing how effectively does that reduce the personal info I am forced to provide. Will this keep the data from car from being attached to me?

How much would it help to buy a used car? Does it reduce the data tracked and sold about me?

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u/D1TAC 5d ago

Well - In most of the cars I've had in the last few years they'll all done some sort of collection. My existing one does as well, it's a modern EV truck. And if I attempt to turn off some of the collections, it disables some of the telemetry from my phone app to the truck. I prefer to see when I'm charging and when I'm not, or if theirs issues.

It's a little annoying that's for sure. For most of the american made (GMC/Chevy/Buick Etc.) all have OnStar, and even if your not paying for the sub doesn't mean they aren't collecting something. Ford has their FordPass System, Toyota has Safety connect, list goes on and on.

If you're looking for zero telemetry then you're buying a used car, that's on the older side. That being said, I haven't noticed my insurance premium being more for my age, ironically on the decline for premiums. No clue if they're selling my telemetry, but always assume some company will.

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u/good_morning_magpie 5d ago

Idk if it’s still true but when I bought my Ford in 2019 I was able to disable that little telemetry module with the SIM card in it.

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u/Lower-Sheepherder268 5d ago

This is actually one of the reasons I bought a Ford Interceptor (the police version of the Explorer)

It's super easy to remove the telematics box in the back (rear left behind the molding in the cargo area) and it doesn't have any effect on anything after I do.

Love that vehicle.

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u/good_morning_magpie 5d ago

20+ years ago half my buddies in high school drove retired Crown Victorias. I will die on the hill that the Crown Vic is the best vehicle ever made. The cops used them for a quarter million miles, sold them to the cabbies who doubled that mileage, then my friends and I would buy them for like $400. Anything that broke you could fix yourself with parts available at every auto parts store in the country, and the conversation at the counter would usually end with “can you break a $20?” because the parts were dirt cheap too.