Car manufacturers in US calm consumer data collection concerns
Picture credit: iStockphoto
Smarter cars equate to more data being available on an owner’s driving habits, a notion not lost on US trade organisation the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers that has announced new guidelines to manage consumer anxiety.
In a statement released on the Alliance’s website, Mitch Bainwol, the body’s president and CEO, immediately set out to allay consumer concerns by explaining how important it was to be transparent about the features of connected cars.
“Our Principles build on the long-standing Fair Information Practice Principles, Federal Trade Commission guidance and the White House Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights,” Bainwol wrote.
“These landmark privacy frameworks, when applied to automobiles, should reassure auto customers that their privacy is taken seriously.”
Privacy practices
The Alliance, which accounts for not only North American manufacturers such as Chrysler and General Motors, but also imports including Porsche and Toyota, says members will clearly detail privacy practices on owner’s manuals and company websites.
As part of these new Automotive Privacy Principles, manufacturers will also have to prioritise security on certain types of information that is personal consumers. The Alliance even said it wants companies to go beyond the principles adopted by other industries.
One final point made in the statement concerned government requests for data. Car manufacturers must clearly explain which information it is that could be handed over to government authorities.
While the Alliance has made a step in the right direction here, it is likely that consumers will be pushing for a scheme where they have to give explicit permission for their driving data to be shared with manufacturers and other third parties.
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