Does my car track me?

If your car was made in the last 10 years, almost certainly yes.

What modern cars collect:

  • GPS location history
  • Speed and driving behavior
  • When and how long you drive
  • Phone numbers you call (if connected)
  • Sometimes voice recordings

Who gets it:

  • Car manufacturer (transmitted via cellular)
  • Insurance companies (if you opted into “discounts”)
  • Law enforcement (can request records)
  • Data brokers

Connected car warning:

When you connect your phone, your contacts and call history may be uploaded. Rental cars keep previous drivers’ data.

To limit tracking:

  • Don’t connect your phone
  • Disable cellular/WiFi in car settings
  • Delete your data before returning rental cars
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