Especially in a post-Edward Snowden world, everyone should be concerned about data privacy. Roadside service company AAA believes the car is the next privacy battlefield and is calling for a Consumer Rights for Car Data bill to protect motorists, USA TODAY reported.
Marketers and the government are among those who might benefit from drivers' information, which would include such personal data as location, frequently visited places, car apps used and more.
Calling for "transparency, choice and security," AAA's proposed "bill of rights" lays out what drivers should know and whether or not data can be shared.
Car owners should understand what data is being collected from their vehicles and how that information is used, according to USA TODAY's reading of the proposal.
The AAA bill states that drivers need to be able to "decide with whom to share their data and for what purpose" and that they should not "be forced to relinquish control of data as a condition of purchasing or leasing a vehicle or of receiving a connected-vehicle service," USA TODAY said.
The proposal also stipulates that carmakers who manufacture connected vehicles use "reasonable measures" to protect the systems and services in their cars that collect user data.
"Many connected car features are made possible through the collection of large amounts of potentially sensitive data from drivers," AAA CEO Bob Darbelnet in a statement as quoted by USA TODAY. "Companies collecting, using and sharing data from cars should do everything possible to protect consumer rights as they offer these exciting technologies."
Analysts estimate that most cars will have Internet connection in the next six years. The AAA said that around 20 percent of cars sold this year will have systems that collect and send data.
According to USA TODAY, Congress ordered an audit for 10 navigation and telematics service providers in 2013. Nearly all of the providers collected drivers' location information and distributed it to third parties to provide safety and convenience services for motorists.
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