Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Monday 24 deceMber 2018

Connected cars accelerate down data-collection highway

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE your seat belt is fastened.
AP Technology Writer Q: Can I stop an automaker
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) from collecting my data?
— That holiday trip over A: Most automakers let
the river and through the owners decline, or opt out
woods to grandmother’s of, data collection, but
house could turn into nice that’s usually buried in the
little gift for automakers as fine print. Otherwise, per-
they increasingly collect mission is assumed. Also,
oodles and oodles of data unlike smartphones, some
about the driver. data collection may be re-
Automakers are collecting quired to ensure that cars
valuable pieces of informa- operate safely and can
tion thanks to the internet receive essential software
connections, cameras and updates. That’s especially
sensors built into most vehi- true as more vehicles come
cles in recent years. The on- with features such as semi-
line access makes it possi- autonomous driving. And
ble for cars to be unlocked it could be necessary in
remotely if the keys are lost. order to have self-driving
It’s how safety features can vehicles. Q: Should I be
be upgraded wirelessly worried about automakers
and maintenance sched- using my data in ways that
ules adjusted based on In this April 22, 2014, file photo, a worker cleans a Tesla Model S sedan before an event to deliver are annoying or compro-
performance. the first set of cars to customers in Beijing. mise my privacy?
But these digital peepholes Associated Press A: Probably, if what has
are also offering a wind- could be plugged into the connected car sales last for data to be shared with happened with smart-
shield-size view of people’s internet, according to BI In- year were China (32 per- emergency workers or for phones is a reliable gauge.
lives. That’s creating the telligence. By 2020, about cent), the United States (13 internal research. As automakers collect
potential for intrusive mar- three out of every four cars percent), Germany (11 per- One of the most notable more data about driv-
keting pitches and govern- sold will be online. cent) and the United King- exceptions is electric car ers, they’re more likely to
ment surveillance. So if you are driving a 2009 dom (9 percent). maker Tesla Motors, which look for ways to profit. The
No serious incidents have Toyota Corolla, you prob- Q: Do I own data that’s col- has released data pub- built-in display screens and
occurred in the United ably only have to worry lected? licly to reveal — sometimes mapping software would
States, Europe and Japan, about the tracking and A: Under U.S. law, it’s un- within hours of a crash seem to be ideal spots for
but a red flag has already data collection being clear. — how fast a driver was posting advertisements,
been raised in China, done by the smartphone Drivers own the data stored traveling and whether the similar to what Google,
where automakers have resting on the cup holder. in the “black boxes” that company’s semi-autono- Facebook, Amazon and
been sharing location de- But as those older models monitor vehicles in a crash. mous Autopilot system was many other internet com-
tails of connected cars with go to the scrapyard, it will Police and insurers need engaged after a collision. panies already do.
the government. become difficult to avoid a a driver’s consent — or a Q: In what ways are auto- The business consultancy
“We are not that far away vehicle set up for gathering court order — to get that makers passing along data McKinsey has estimated
from when 100 percent data that will be sent to au- data. But there are no laws when drivers allow it to be automotive data could be
of all new cars will come tomakers. addressing data collected shared? worth $450 billion to $750
equipped with data mo- Q: Which automakers are by automakers through ve- A: They’re giving the data billion worldwide by 2030.
dems,” Navigant Research leading the way in this hicle internet connections. to insurers to determine the Ford Motor CEO Jim Hack-
analyst Sam Abuelsamid trend? So far, few automakers will premiums that should be ett may have foreshad-
predicted. “Having the po- A: General Motors ac- share their data in the Unit- charged, if a driver con- owed what’s coming as he
tential to collect more data counted for 46 percent of ed States without the own- sents. This could be good if boasted in a recent inter-
about people in their cars connected-car shipments ers’ consent, Abuelsamid data indicates drivers are view about how much the
means there is going to be last year, according to the said. Twenty companies — cautious, adhere to speed automaker already knows
potential for abuses, too.” market research firm Coun- including GM, Toyota, Ford, limits and seldom log lots of about its customers who
Here are some key ques- terpoint. They’re followed Hyundai and Mercedes- miles. But insurance premi- get their loans through its
tions about the auto indus- by BMW (20 percent), Audi Benz — signed a voluntary ums could jump for drivers financial services division.
try’s acceleration down the (14 percent) and Mer- agreement in 2014 to get who are prone to speed- All the lending information
data-collection highway: cedes Benz (13 percent). permission before sharing a ing or frequent hard brak- has allowed Ford to learn
Q: What kind of cars collect In addition, Tesla’s Model driver’s location, health or ing — all of which could be how much money people,
data? S sold since 2012 all come behavior with third parties. interpreted as raising the where they live, where they
A: In 2016, about one in ev- with connectivity. The firm The agreement doesn’t re- risks for accidents. Insurers live and whether they are
ery five cars sold globally said the biggest markets for quire approval from drivers would also know whether married.q