US and German automakers pledge to limit the data they collect on drivers

It’s not just our phones that’re getting smarter these days, everything from home appliances to cars are becoming more technologically advanced and connected through the internet. So if we need to worry about too much of our information being collected through our computers and our smartphones, should we also worry about our increasingly connected cars?

“New automotive technologies and services are providing our customers with tremendous benefits,” said Mitch Bainwol, president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, as quoted by The Detroit News. “For example, alerts about traffic conditions help reduce congestion, while concierge services are able to unlock car doors and route drivers around the path of a storm. Providing such features in a transparent way is important to both customers and automakers.”

In order to assuage the potential fears of customers, the Auto Alliance, which comprises of most of the major car brands in the United States and Germany, has issued a set of privacy principals that will essentially see these brands limit the amount of information that they allow themselves to collect on the drivers of their vehicles, as well as dictate how they handle said information.

“Modern cars not only share the road but will in the not-too-distant future communicate with one another,” John Bozzella, president of the Association of Global Automakers, said in a statement, as quoted by Automotive News. “Vigilance over the privacy of our customers and the security of vehicle systems is an imperative.”