Is You Car Collecting Personal Data? You Check the Privacy Settings on Your Phone, But What About Your Car?
Caveat - When we talk about digital literacy, internet safety, security, and privacy here at The White Hatter, the conversation often focuses on youth, teens, smartphones, social media, gaming, and artificial intelligence. However, these issues don’t suddenly disappear when we become adults. In fact, some of the technology collecting information about us may be hiding in plain sight, including something many of us use every day: our vehicle.
Most of us probably don’t think of our car or truck as a connected digital device, but increasingly, that is exactly what it has become. Modern vehicles can contain cameras, microphones, GPS systems, mobile apps, wireless connections, infotainment systems, sensors, and onboard computers capable of collecting significant amounts of information about the vehicle and, potentially, the people inside it. Depending on the vehicle and the services being used, some of that information may also leave the vehicle and be transmitted elsewhere.
So, this article isn’t primarily for youth or teens. It’s for those of us who own or drive a vehicle and may have never stopped to ask a very digital-literacy-focused question: What does my vehicle know about me, where can that information go, and what control do I actually have over it?
During Darren’s policing career, he became acutely aware, particularly through conversations with police collision reconstruction analysts, of just how much digital information modern vehicles can collect and retain. Long before most of us began thinking of our cars as connected devices, investigators were already using electronically stored vehicle information to help reconstruct what happened before, during, and after serious collisions.
However, today’s vehicles can collect far more information than the traditional crash and diagnostic data that many drivers might expect. Depending on the make, model, features, and connected services being used, a modern vehicle can potentially generate information about where it travels, driving behaviour, speed and braking, vehicle diagnostics, infotainment use, connected smartphones, voice interactions, and other information associated with the driver or occupants. In many ways, the modern vehicle has evolved from being primarily a mechanical form of transportation into a sophisticated computer on wheels, complete with sensors, software, internet connectivity, apps, microphones, cameras, and increasingly artificial intelligence.
Canadian privacy regulators are actively concerned about this issue. In 2026, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) stated that modern vehicles collect and transmit large volumes of personal information, including location history, driving behaviour and personal preferences, and raised questions about how that information is stored, shared and protected (1).
The OPC has also established a connected-cars working group with privacy regulators in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec. Automaker’s data practices vary significantly and that consent is not always obtained. The information potentially collected can include location, driving habits, contacts, websites visited and even permissions concerning in-vehicle conversations (2).
It was this growing privacy reality that prompted us, back in 2025, to publish an article titled, “It’s Not Just Tech Companies: The Privacy Risks of Today’s New Vehicles Integrated With Smart Technology, What Consumers Need to Know” (3). Today, the issue caught our attention again after reading a recent article in The Verge titled, “Your Car Is Selling Your Data” (4). The headline is provocative, but it raises an important issue that every vehicle owner should be thinking about, when we purchase a connected vehicle, what information is being collected about us, where is that information going, who might have access to it, and perhaps most importantly, what meaningful choices do we actually have to limit that collection and sharing?
Most major automakers provide Canadian vehicle owners with privacy controls relating to connected vehicle data, but there is no standardized industry wide “opt out” process. Depending on the manufacturer and vehicle, owners may be able to disable certain data sharing through the vehicle’s infotainment system or mobile app, deactivate connected services or the vehicle’s cellular connection, withdraw consent, or contact the manufacturer’s privacy office. Importantly, opting out of one category of data collection does not necessarily stop all information from being transmitted by the vehicle. Here are some useful official manufacturer privacy/data control pages for major automakers for your consideration:
Toyota Canada: Toyota specifically says owners can opt out of Connected Services or request deactivation of vehicle data transmission. https://www.toyota.ca/en/privacy/
Honda Canada: Honda allows owners to opt in or out of several categories of vehicle data, including diagnostic, location and trip-log information, depending on the vehicle and service. https://www.honda.ca/en/privacy/vehicledata
Nissan Canada: Nissan provides a Privacy Requests mechanism and says consent can be withdrawn, subject to legal restrictions. https://www.nissan.ca/common/PrivacyNotice.html
Mercedes-Benz Canada: Owners can withdraw consent or deactivate certain services through Mercedes me connect and can contact support about opting out of data collection. https://www.mercedes-benz.ca/en/legal-notices/privacy-policy
Volvo Canada: Volvo explains vehicle-data collection and privacy controls. Privacy choices can also be managed through vehicle settings and, for some features, the Volvo Cars app. https://www.volvocars.com/en-ca/legal/privacy/privacy-car/
Tesla: Tesla allows owners to submit a Data Privacy Request and obtain copies of data associated with their account, including certain vehicle-use information. https://www.tesla.com/support/privacy
GM / Chevrolet / GMC / Buick / Cadillac: GM has a Canadian privacy policy, but connected-vehicle data is primarily governed separately through OnStar. This requires more care than simply saying “use GM’s opt-out page https://www.gm.ca/en/home/privacy-statement.html
BMW Canada: BMW has a dedicated Canadian ConnectedDrive privacy policy explaining collection and processing of connected-vehicle information. Controls depend on the service and vehicle rather than one universal “stop all data” button. https://www.bmw.ca/en/topics/owners/connected-drive-privacy-policy.html
Hyundai Canada: We could not finding a dedicated Canadian vehicle-data opt-out form. Hyundai directs privacy requests/withdrawal questions through its privacy channels. Its official owner page confirms you can contact Hyundai at privacy@hyundaicanada.com, although the visible opt-out language on that page specifically concerns communications rather than all connected-vehicle data. https://www.hyundaicanada.com/en/owners-section/updatecontactinfo
Kia Canada: Kia’s official Kia Connect Privacy Policy explains its privacy practices and opt-out choices. However, the explicit online opt-out language I found primarily concerns promotional communications and third-party marketing, rather than a universal switch that stops all vehicle telemetry. https://owners.kia.com/us/en/privacy-policy.html
Subaru Canada: Subaru explicitly states that owners can deactivate MySubaru Connected Services at any time. It further says that if you want to withdraw consent to collection/use/disclosure under its Connected Services policy, you should log into MySubaru.ca and unsubscribe from MySubaru Connected Services. Doing so means features such as Automatic Collision Notification, SOS Emergency Service and Enhanced Roadside Assistance will no longer be available. https://www.subaru.ca/Content/7907/Media/en-ca/LegalText/Corporate/PrivacyPolicy.htm
Volkswagen Canada: VW Canada explicitly gives Canadians the right to withdraw consent to the further use of their personal information, subject to legal or contractual limitations. VW says these requests can be submitted in writing to its Privacy Officer. VW also warns that withdrawing consent can make it impossible to continue providing services that require the information. https://www.vw.ca/en/privacy-policy.html
Several U.S. manufacturer portals are also particularly useful because they provide very explicit access/deletion/opt-out controls:
Ford Privacy & Consumer Requests: access, correction, deletion and certain sale/sharing opt-outs. https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/
General Motors Privacy & Consumer Requests: access, correction and deletion, plus certain opt-outs depending on location. GM specifically identifies vehicle information that can include driving behaviour and geolocation. https://www.gm.com/privacy-statement
Toyota Privacy Hub & Privacy Requests: access, deletion, correction and “Do Not Sell or Share” requests. https://privacy.toyota.com/
Subaru Consumer Privacy Rights: includes a “Right to Opt Out” of selling or sharing personal information. Subaru also provides vehicle-specific controls through its Privacy Portal. https://www.subaru.com/support/consumer-privacy
The purpose of this article isn’t to suggest that connected vehicle technology is inherently bad or that drivers should immediately disable every connected feature in their vehicle. Many of these technologies provide genuine benefits, including emergency crash notification, roadside assistance, navigation, theft recovery, remote vehicle functions, maintenance alerts, and other safety and convenience features. The issue isn’t necessarily that our vehicles collect data, it’s whether we understand what is being collected, why it is being collected, who it may be shared with, how long it is retained, and what meaningful control we have over it.
There is also an important trade off that vehicle owners need to understand. Turning off connected services, disabling a vehicle’s cellular connection, withdrawing consent, or opting out of certain forms of data collection may also disable features you actually want. Depending on the manufacturer and vehicle, this could affect emergency assistance, collision notification, remote start, navigation, stolen vehicle assistance, diagnostic services, smartphone apps, or other connected features. Privacy decisions should therefore be informed decisions, rather than simply switching everything off.
We also believe automakers can do better. A Canadian consumer shouldn’t have to dig through lengthy privacy policies, navigate multiple apps and vehicle menus, email a privacy officer, or call customer service simply to understand what their vehicle is collecting about them. Privacy controls should be easy to find, written in plain language, and allow drivers to make meaningful choices about different categories of information. A clearly labelled privacy dashboard that explains what is being collected, why, who it is shared with, and provides straightforward controls should be the industry standard.
If you own a newer connected vehicle, spend a few minutes exploring its privacy and connectivity settings. Check the manufacturer’s privacy page, look through the companion app, review the infotainment system’s privacy options, and ask what connected services are actually necessary for you. If you’re purchasing a new vehicle, add privacy to the list of questions you ask the salesperson, right alongside fuel economy, warranty, safety ratings, and financing.
Our cars have quietly become another part of our digital lives. We routinely talk about privacy settings on smartphones, social media platforms, smart speakers, and apps, yet many of us have never opened the privacy settings in a vehicle that may travel with us every day.
This isn’t about becoming fearful of the technology in our cars. It’s about becoming informed about it. You paid for the vehicle, you drive the vehicle, and much of the information being generated is about you. At the very least, you should understand what is being collected and have a meaningful say in what happens to it.
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech
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