08:38Machine-translated from Azerbaijani by AIRead in Azerbaijani
New Cars Send Personal Data to Advertising Companies, With Tesla Near the Top
Modern cars can share drivers’ personal data with advertising and analytics companies. A study by Northeastern University in the US found that approximately 90 percent of the vehicles tested send data to third parties. Some manufacturers’ apps even share a vehicle identification number (VIN), the user’s email address, and precise location.
From October 2024 to August 2025, researchers examined 21 new vehicles and 30 manufacturer apps from Consumer Reports’ test fleet. They found that 19 of the 21 vehicles sent data via Wi-Fi to at least one third party. Meanwhile, 28 of the mobile apps connected to advertising or analytics services.
Seven apps in particular were found to transmit information that could be used to identify users. General Motors’ myCadillac, myChevrolet, myBuick, and myGMC apps shared vehicle VINs with 10 companies, including Microsoft and Adobe. The HondaLink app was found to send VIN and location data to the Amplitude analytics service.
Tesla also stood out in the study. Model 3 and Cybertruck vehicles were observed transmitting various data related to driving activity and in-car digital services to advertising, tracking, and analytics servers. In particular, the Model 3 reportedly connected to the servers of 22 advertising and tracking companies, while the Tesla mobile app added two more companies to that list.
Interestingly, 10 of the 21 vehicles tested did not connect directly to advertising and tracking servers. However, when those vehicles’ mobile apps were also taken into account, the scale of data sharing increased significantly.
The researchers emphasize that the actual flow of data may be broader than what they detected. Because of encryption, it was not possible to determine the content of all the data. Therefore, a recorded connection to advertising and analytics servers does not confirm in every case that specific personal data was transmitted.
The study’s findings were sent to 17 automakers, 14 of which responded. The companies said that the data exchange was carried out in accordance with existing agreements. Some manufacturers also noted that drivers are responsible for reviewing and accepting the terms of use for third-party services in vehicles.
Limiting data sharing is not always easy either. Tesla warns that not accepting its data-sharing terms may result in the loss of certain features and technical problems. Rivian says that stopping data collection could limit capabilities such as navigation and over-the-air software updates.
Honda was one of the manufacturers that made specific changes following the study. The company requested the deletion of location data collected by the Amplitude service and updated the HondaLink app to stop sending that data.
The study shows that protecting personal data in modern vehicles now depends not only on the vehicle itself, but also on its associated mobile apps and third-party services.