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Online Privacy Has Become “Very Creepy” Says Mozilla

If you ever felt we’ve come dangerously close to George Orwell’s dystopian vision in 1984, you’re on to something. Big Brother isn’t watching but the products we use every day and the companies behind them certainly are.

They’re best known for their web browser, Firefox, but Mozilla is also an online privacy watchdog. Since 2017 they’ve been reviewing products and assessing what data is collected and who it’s being shared with.

Their annual consumer Creep-O-Meter takes all those findings, distills them, and gives you a big-picture view of the current state of digital privacy and where we’re headed.

According to the oversized, shocked emoji on their site, things aren’t looking good. The state of digital privacy is “very creepy.”

The Good News: Online Security Has Improved

The report isn’t all doom and gloom.

More companies are using encryption and giving their customers automatic updates. So, while companies are hungry for personal data, and they’re typically sharing it to make additional revenue, the data is generally sent securely. That means it’s much harder for third parties to intercept personal data illegitimately.

It’s important to remember that companies might not always make decisions that put their customers first but they’re not the threat. Rather, consumers should be most concerned about nefarious third parties that steal private data.

The Bad: Long Privacy Policies and Products that Don’t Work Offline

If you’ve skipped privacy policies, skimmed others, and occasionally read sections of them, you’re in the majority.

Insanely long privacy policies that no human possibly has time to read are the norm. If you’re ambitious enough to go through one, the legal jargon and lack of clarity may give you just as many questions as answers.

A machine learning analysis found that since 1996 the typical privacy policy has grown to over 4,000 words.

Another growing trend is products that need an internet connection to operate, with no “offline mode.”

Devices use so many online services today that it’s tricky to give people a decent user experience without the internet. And since there isn’t much incentive for companies to offer the ability to go offline, many companies have given up on the idea.

Going offline is the simplest, most effective way to protect your private data. When apps and gadgets neither offer a way to use them offline nor manage privacy settings, customers are left with a choice: accept data practices they might not be comfortable with or stop using them entirely.

New Cars Are the Creepiest Products

Perhaps the biggest shocker of all is that 100% of car makers failed to pass Mozilla’s privacy test.

If you’re looking for car brands that are slightly less aggressive about collecting and using your personal data, you won’t find much. All the big auto manufacturers are practically moving in lockstep.

Nissan won for the highest creep factor. The Japan-based company collects data about “sexual activity, health diagnosis data, and genetic information” according to Mozilla.

And when it comes to overall privacy with the most room for improvement, Tesla took the cake. Tesla was given an “X” in every category in their report about the state of privacy in car brands.

Most Gadgets Have Mics and Cameras

Perhaps it’s just too tempting to harvest data about customers when all the tools are built right into the products. Over 90% of gadgets, apps, and cars have a mic, a camera, or both.

The products with the highest “creepiness” may surprise you. Gaming consoles, smart video doorbells, smart speakers, and GPS watches were common near the top of Mozilla’s “Privacy Not Included” list.

Video call apps such as Apple’s Facetime were some of the worst when it comes to data privacy policies.

Quick Tips to Take Control of Your Privacy

  • Opt-out: When you install apps, you could be given the opportunity to limit or stop data collection and sharing. If privacy settings are available, poke around and see if you can make changes that will improve your online privacy.
  • Check permissions and deny access as needed: Android and iOS allow you to manage which apps have access to your location, contacts, camera, etc. as well as in what circumstances they’re permitted to access them. It’s a good practice to review these permissions every now and again.
  • Clear private data companies have about you: Tech companies such as Google and Meta allow you to delete your personal data they store on their servers. If you continue to use their services, they’ll resume collecting data in most cases but at least you’ll start fresh.
  • Use a VPN: Add a layer of anonymity and encryption between your device and the internet with a virtual private network. It allows you to easily hide your IP address which is one of the key ways you are identified online. Learn about the top 3 VPN services here.
  • Delete apps you’re not using: It may be surprising to some, but apps you don’t even use can still collect data about you. Old apps that haven’t received security updates may contain personal information that is low-hanging fruit for data thieves.
  • Read the privacy policy: No, not the privacy policy, right? It might be duller reading material than the phonebook, but if you use an app or product every day it’s important to know how it handles your data.

Conclusion

The smart technology we have in our homes has added efficiency to our lives and connected us to the world, but it has its costs.

More than ever companies are using their products to collect and share the personal data of their customers. The big data industry provides lucrative opportunities to manufacturers. Tough economic times have corporations looking for alternative revenue sources.

Before you set up an “always on” device in your home such as a smart speaker or smart video doorbell, consider if the upside outweighs the downside. Products in certain categories have privacy drawbacks across the board.

Why New Cars are a Privacy Nightmare

What do you think about when you picture a young couple in a convertible with big smiles, sunglasses, and the wind blowing through their hair?

Many associate cars with freedom. Cars represent the freedom to go wherever you want, and experience all life has to offer.

The world has changed dramatically since that idea was established. Today’s cars are more like computers on wheels.

Savvy folks are aware of the privacy pitfalls of smartphones, social media, and online games. Far fewer think about the fact that their new car collects data about them, sells that data, and offers limited to no way to opt out of it.

Now for the cringey part: Some car manufacturers are even interested in the sex life of their customers.

How can it be this bad? Here’s a theory:

The Haze of Innovation

People are enthralled with their smart cars.

Companies like Tesla are innovating in a big way in the space, and the uptick in advancement in the industry is a relatively new phenomenon. Thus, certain realities like the lack of online privacy in new cars haven’t quite hit the average customer’s radar.

Smartphones and social media have been around long enough for the blind enthusiasm to dim. Tech companies recognize that giving people greater control of their online privacy is responsible and ultimately good for business.

Car manufacturers can get away with not-so-hot online privacy policies because it’s still the early days. However, history has taught us that eventually, consumers will demand better privacy, and in time, car manufacturers will be forced to rethink their approach.

Rapid Advancement in Auto Tech

Your first car was likely a way to get from point A to point B. My, how times have changed.

From the rise of electric vehicles to the promise of fully autonomous cars, advancement in the auto industry is incredible right now.

Electric car sales are reaching new heights. In the second quarter of 2023, nearly 300,000 EVs (fully electric vehicles) were sold in the U.S. alone.

The computers in Telsa’s vehicles are so powerful that they can run video games. And we’re not talking mobile games with low requirements. Telsa’s CEO Elon Musk demonstrated the capabilities of its Model S Plaid by playing Cyberpunk 2077 [Amazon]. He stated their computer hardware offered “PS5-level performance.”

Unfortunately, growing pains come along with the innovation.

Computer hardware and software this advanced are new things in cars. It’s going to take time to perfect the fine points. To your typical customer, online privacy doesn’t have that wow factor that software features do. And it’s the wow factor that sells cars. Thus, privacy is not a top priority for auto manufacturers yet.

Mozilla’s Study Roasts the Auto Industry for Its Approach to Privacy

A recent study on the state of privacy of car brands pulled no punches. Mozilla went as far as to say new cars are a “privacy nightmare on wheels.”

Every brand, from Ford and Volkswagen to Toyota, failed their privacy test.

Researchers found that sensors, microphones, cameras, connected devices, and phones are being deployed to gather some pretty questionable data about customers.

They put it like this: “(It) can collect deeply personal data such as sexual activity, immigration status, race, facial expressions, weight, health and genetic information, and where you drive.”

Wondering how that information can possibly relate to driving, navigating, and the services you use on the road?

Well, it doesn’t. And that leads us to the next topic: What they actually do with the data.

76% of Car Companies Sell Your Data

Corporations are always looking for new revenue centers that offset the challenges they face. And gathering data about consumers is big business.

Data is a $300 billion-a-year industry. And it employs 3 million people in the U.S.

While some of the data is used for the auto manufacturer’s own research, marketing, or business purposes, Mozilla found that 84% of them sell it or share it. It then gets into the hands of service providers, data brokers, and other businesses.

By digging deep into their terms of service, they also found that 56% can share your information with the government or law enforcement.

Car Brands Are Largely the Same with It Comes to Privacy

Mozilla created a chart that compares car brands for privacy. Companies with a failing grade were given an ‘X’ for the following categories: data use, data control, track record, security, and AI.

Brands largely weren’t that different in their approach to privacy across the board.

The major brands you’ve heard of mostly received four dings out of five. Subaru, BMW, Fiat, Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge faired a bit better with three dings. And Tesla was the only one to get an ‘X’ in every single category.

California Probes Internet-Connected Cars

The Wild West in data practices for new cars is not going to last.

California recently revealed that privacy regulators would probe the data practices of newer cars that are connected to the internet.

The California Privacy Protection Agency was established in 2020 by a ballot initiative that beefed up the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018.

It’s a start, and this may set a precedent for other states to follow.

Conclusion

The current CEO of Ford Motor Company revealed the following: “We know everyone who breaks the law, we know when you’re doing it. We have GPS in your car, so we know what you’re doing.”

The vast majority of people are law-abiding citizens. Do auto manufacturers really need to have this level of power to probe their customers at will?

Considering the less-than-stellar grades by Mozilla’s report, the auto industry has a thing or two to learn about using technology responsibly. Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should.

Once customers become more aware of data privacy in connected cars, manufacturers will be able to out-compete each other by employing better practices. Let’s hope that’s the next step in this technological revolution, rather than the big players moving in lockstep.