FRESNO, California – Cody Sarhan, Communications Specialist
For most of us, driving has always felt like a small escape — a space where the outside world is shut out, and it’s just you, the open road, and maybe your favorite playlist. But today, that sense of privacy is more illusion than reality. Modern electric vehicles are quietly turning the driver’s seat into one of the most sophisticated data collection zones on the planet. And most people have no idea it’s happening.
Learn More: How Xobee can help you maintain privacy and security
Electric vehicles aren’t just built to move you from Point A to Point B — they’re built to know how you got there, when, why, and what you did along the way. Location data, acceleration patterns, braking habits, voice commands, video recordings, and even biometric data like your face and voice are often scooped up automatically.
That’s not just some line-item feature or selling point, this is a whole business model
In fact, Mozilla’s 2023 Privacy Not Included report ranked cars as one of the worst consumer products when it comes to respecting user privacy, with over 80% of automakers admitting they share or sell the data they collect.
Who’s Buying Your Driving History & Habits?
Insurance companies, advertisers, and data brokers are all eager to get behind the wheel — of your data. Some automakers have already been caught selling driver behavior data to third parties, leading to lawsuits and public backlash. Even when these programs are shelved, the infrastructure to gather this data rarely goes away.
Law enforcement also has an increasing interest in this goldmine of information. While some high-profile cases have showcased the benefits of this data in solving crimes, it raises the question: how easily could it be misused?
The data collected by Tesla after a cybertruck packed with fireworks burst into flames in front of the Trump International Hotel Wednesday proved valuable to police in helping track the driver’s movements, but that data harvesting could be a double-edged sword according to David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston.
“It reveals the kind of sweeping surveillance going on…” — David Choffnes
The Fine Print That Nobody Reads
The biggest problem? Most drivers have no clue this is happening. Consent is typically buried in a haystack of legal jargon during the sales process or hidden deep within a 500-page owner’s manual. Even if you do spot it, opting out is often inconvenient — if it’s even possible at all.
With more than 90% of new cars capable of transmitting data back to manufacturers by 2030, the issue isn’t going away. And as vehicles become more connected to cloud services, smart assistants, and even each other, the potential for cybersecurity risks grows right alongside privacy concerns.
The Cybersecurity Blind Spot
The cybersecurity implications of EV data collection are often overshadowed by the privacy debate. But they’re just as critical. What happens if hackers breach a manufacturer’s servers and gain access to years of vehicle data? In the wrong hands, location histories, driver habits, and personal identifiers could become a tool for stalking, blackmail, or worse.
Yet, many EV owners focus on range anxiety or charging station access, rarely stopping to wonder who might be silently riding shotgun with them.
Xobee Networks: Your Co-Pilot for Safer, Smarter Tech
When it comes to data protection, it’s not just cars. Businesses everywhere face the same reality: convenience often comes at the cost of security. That’s where Xobee comes in. We’re your one-stop-shop for business technology solutions.
- Expert IT consulting to guide you through tough tech decisions.
- Secure cloud hosting with redundancy to keep your operations running.
- Data backup and restoration services to recover from any disaster.
- Cybersecurity essentials like virus protection, spam filtering, and proactive threat monitoring.
Whether it’s your vehicle or your business, don’t let technology take the wheel without you knowing where it’s headed. Xobee is here to help you steer safely.
Xobee Networks now has engineers servicing clients within Fresno, Clovis, Madera, San Jose, Sacramento, San Francisco & the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Las Vegas, Bakersfield, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Anaheim, Palm Springs, and beyond.
