FTC: Hold automakers accountable for sharing consumers’ data without their knowledge
Background:
A New York Times investigation revealed that some automakers may be misleading consumers about how they are collecting and selling their driving data, which is being sold to insurance companies and used against drivers to raise the price of their insurance premiums.
In some cases, consumers are either paying more or being denied for car insurance after automakers shared assessments of their driving that they didn’t know was being used this way. But there are laws protecting consumers from these kinds of practices and GM has announced that they will stop sharing data with data brokers. Join us in calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate other automakers and use their power to stop any unfair and deceptive practices regarding the sharing and use of driving data.
The Petition:
To: Federal Trade Commission
We are calling on the FTC to investigate automakers and use their power to stop any unfair and deceptive practices regarding the sharing and use of consumers’ driving data. Some “smart driving” programs within a vehicle or its app assure drivers that their data is not being shared or persuade drivers to agree to data-sharing terms buried in lengthy terms and conditions that are nearly impossible to decipher. Even more egregious is that some car salespeople are incentivized to enroll consumers in these features and may have signed drivers up without their knowledge. Additionally, drivers claim that automakers continued to track them despite turning off these features.
It is also unclear to consumers how their driving is being assessed. As a result, consumers are either facing higher car insurance costs or denials for car insurance due to automakers’ practices.
We urge the FTC to use its authority under Section 5 of the FTC Act, and take immediate action to hold automakers accountable if they are engaging in unfair and deceptive practices.
You can sign the petition at https://action.consumerreports.org/nb-20240321-ftc-carprivacy
h/t, Joe Cadillic