- Your car is spying on you, and that sucks.
Sure, we expect it from our phones
and other smart devices like our smart fridges.
But our cars? Why?
Why must they desecrate the holiest of sanctuaries?
Yeah, I yell at other drivers, I sing to myself,
I try to name all 50 states to pass the time on my commute.
But what are they gonna do with all that data?
Corporations have a lot to gain
with your private information,
no matter how small those nuggets of info might be.
YouTube gives you suggested videos
based off what you watched.
Google uses your searches to sell targeted ads.
And Amazon tracks what products you order
and suggests new ones based off your history.
Or they suggest slightly different
versions of a product I just bought!
Amazon, I don't need another jean steamer,
I bought one and it works just fine.
Car companies are no different.
They collect information on you,
whether that's how far you drive,
where you drive, how efficient your car is,
or what you listen to on the way to work.
All that data is valuable in figuring out
exactly who you are as a consumer.
So what are they doing with all this information,
and how is it legal?
We'll get to that.
But first, let's talk about how long this has been going on.
Spoiler, a lot longer than you think.
General Motors realized pretty early on
that data collection from cars was useful.
OnStar was founded in 1996
with an aim to make driving safer.
Yes, OnStar, the blue button you hit
to be saved after a car crash.
The OnStar system wasn't just a way
to call an ambulance, though.
It was one of the first of it's kind
to offer hands-free calling, turn-by-turn navigation,
and other emergency services
that were included with your subscription.
Later on though, it evolved to track diagnostics,
vehicle location, and how often you
use your vehicle: all in real time.
According to the OnStar website,
the information collected can be used
to improve the quality, safety,
and security of their products and services
to develop new products, services, and for marketing.
OnStar's admitting that their data is used for marketing.
They're basically doing the same thing as Google.
OnStar states that all this information
is presented to the driver before they buy a subscription.
If the driver does not consent
to their data being harvested,
then that particular car isn't tracked.
So why doesn't everyone just not consent
to OnStar tracking their data?
This type of data has never been used
in cars before so people don't expect it.
Literally millions of drivers have been tracked by OnStar,
who probably just think of it as an emergency service.
Plus, nobody reads those contracts anyway.
How many of us have actually read
the fine print on contracts we sign?
I've literally never read one word of an iTunes agreement,
yet I'll click read every single time.
I don't need another thing
getting between me and Limp Bizkit.
("Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" by Limp Bizkit)
Oh, Wes, you beautiful son of a (bleeped).
But the worst part, see that star on the logo?
Flip it upside down and what do you get?
That's right, the Order of the Eastern Star,
the symbol of the Freemasons.
Explain yourself, OnStar.
What are you doing with all my data?
What do you know about me?
What are you telling Uncle Sam?
OnStar was the first, but it definitely
wasn't the last to spy on you.
Today, every car company has their own way
of tracking real-time data from drivers.
The term connected vehicle describes a car
that transmits data via the internet.
And according to ABI Research,
98% of new cars sold in the U.S. and Europe
will be connected vehicles by the year 2021.
As of today, there are more than 78 million cars
on the road with embedded cyber connections.
That's a lot of data!
So where does it all go?
Well, that data can be super useful
when it comes to improving transportation,
reducing emissions, reducing traffic accidents,
and of course, detecting crashes.
But in my opinion, the most valuable connected device
is the event data recorder, or EDR.
It's basically a black box you would
find in an airplane, but for your car.
EDR is a generic term for a tamper-proof memory device
that is triggered in the event of an accident.
Anything from a sudden change in wheel speed
to an engine fault can trip the device.
Once it's triggered, it records a wide range of elements
that might be useful to crash investigators.
Things like whether or not the seat belts were buckled,
whether brakes were applied,
the speed at the time of the crash, anything like that.
Most EDRs store this data on a
rugged memory device within the car,
but systems like OnStar transmit
some of that data to off-site locations.
While G.M. and OnStar have streamlined
their data collection and processing,
many car companies don't really know
how to consume the massive stream of data
they're receiving from their vehicles.
That's when a company like Otonomo comes in,
like Winston Wolfe to clean things up.
- I'm Winston Wolfe, I solve problems.
- Otonomo describes itself as
the first connected car data marketplace.
Frankly, a very ominous description for a company
that takes all the raw data from drivers, analyzes it,
and wraps it up in a neat little package with a bow on top.
Why does it need a bow, you ask?
Well, because Otonomo sells that package
to third-party companies and splits
the profits with car manufacturers.
That's (bleeped) up, man!
(sighing) This data can be so-called benign info,
like your commute routes, your average speed,
and whether or not you wear your seat belt.
Or they can be selling more personal data,
like who you listen to on the radio,
what stores you frequent, or even your weight.
Yeah, those little sensors on your seat for the airbags,
your car knows you're a thick boy.
Look, I'm insecure enough about my weight as it is,
I don't need Otonomo knowing how much I weigh
so Amazon could suggest XXL t-shirts
and a shake-weight for some reason.
Why do they even sell those things?
It's just like your just ...
I'm not even gonna do that on camera.
Worse, it's unclear who the car companies
are selling your data to.
Understandably, they won't come out
with a list of who is buying your data.
I will say it does make sense for a navigation company
like Waze to use it to optimize routes,
or insurance companies to know if you wear
a seat belt or not and hike up your premium.
The biggest problem with all this data collecting
is that it's still pretty new to the car industry,
so it hasn't been regulated yet.
Other industries like health care, education,
and finance, they collect your data, too,
but there are strict laws dealing with how they use it.
Don't worry, though.
A bunch of car companies got together
and wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission,
promising they wouldn't do anything nefarious
with all the data they're collecting.
That makes me feel great.
I don't have to worry about anything.
Key features of the letter included transparency
regarding how auto makers collect, use,
and share information retrieved from vehicles,
heightened protections for sensitive types of consumer data,
and limitations on the sharing of
geolocation information with government authorities.
But promises don't mean (bleeped), and it's clear that data
is already being abused by car manufacturers.
I mean, how many of you even knew about this
before you clicked on this video?
The data we are unknowingly giving up
means tons of dollar signs for car manufacturers.
And this is just the start of it,
profit is only going to get bigger as time goes on.
In fact, a new report by consulting firm McKinsey
estimates that revenue in this sector could reach
450 to 750 billion dollars by the year 2030.
I don't know what it is, but something tells me
car manufacturers might not stick
to their guidelines they set in their little letter.
That's a lot of money.
So, yes, if you own a new car,
chances are your car is spying on you.
But there is something you can do.
If you're buying a new car, go ahead and opt out
of the data tacking if it worries you.
But remember, chances are you have a cell phone,
which is doing the same exact thing, (laughs)
so there might not be any way to avoid it
unless you're completely off the grid.
Honestly, I could care less if car manufacturers know
that I'm driving to Jersey Mike's three times a week.
But I understand why other people
would have a problem with it.
After all, where can we be in
complete privacy if not in our cars?
Speaking of spying, there's something you can
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Trust no one.
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do.
Siri, are you spying on me?
- [Siri] No.
- Like this video, subscribe, contribute to
the social media surveillance machine
by following me on Instagram @NOLANJSYKES
and following Donut @DONUTMEDIA.
Be nice, see you next time.