Your Car Is Spying On You

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Friend,

From where you go to who you call, your car knows so much about you. It’s widely understood that our smartphones track us, but cars collect even more data and with fewer legal safeguards, leaving them vulnerable to warrantless searches through constitutional loopholes.

Last week, S.T.O.P. released our latest research report, Wiretaps on Wheels: The Acceleration of Automotive Surveillance. From collecting our biometric data through telematics and infotainment systems to immigration agencies weaponizing car data, we detail how new cars are wiretaps on wheels, sending some of our most sensitive information to carmakers and law enforcement. Through a process called “cartapping,” police can even listen to conversations happening in cars using cars’ emergency response systems and hands-free microphones.

Our report calls for new legislation, enforcement of existing data protection laws, and responsible car design and data storage policies to shift car data surveillance into reverse. When every turn we take is tracked, it creates a potent tool to track religious activity, political movements, and even reproductive care. It’s time to put the brakes on law enforcement’s easy access to car data.

With thanks,
Eleni Manis
Research Director

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Newslettercommunications staffNovember 10, 2022