GoKawiilStudy finds connected cars share data widely with trackers, Big Tech
Researchers from Northeastern University and Consumer Reports tested 21 cars from 19 brands, monitoring network traffic while parked, idling, and driving. They found most vehicles sent data to advertising, tracking, and analytics domains, as well as to companies like Microsoft and Adobe, with companion smartphone apps often increasing the amount of data shared. The Tesla Model 3 was the most extreme case, contacting 34 advertising and tracking domains plus 37 more from integrated apps, while the Buick Envista and Mercedes-Benz EQS reportedly contacted no outside domains beyond their manufacturer.