Only 5 of 14 automakers require police warrants to request user data, but Tesla is the only one telling users

Modern cars are equipped with advanced sensors and technology that have raised concerns about driver privacy, with US senators and regulators reportedly investigating automakers' use of driver location data shared with police.

'Smartphones on Wheels' Draws Attention From Regulators - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/30/technology/regulators-investigate-carmakers-driver-tracking.html

Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts have written to Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan urging her to investigate the threats to Americans' privacy that automakers pose by sharing driver location data with police. Wyden is particularly concerned that the sharing could reveal people crossing state lines to obtain abortions.

Automobile manufacturers generally keep vehicle location information. For example, Hyundai's system is up to 15 years, and of the 45 requests for location data Hyundai received from police in the past two years, more than half were for stolen vehicles. Senator Wyden personally conducted a one-year investigation of 14 automakers, revealing that they had received more than 1,400 requests for location information from police in the past two years.

Of the 14 companies, five - General Motors, Honda, Ford, Tesla and Stellantis - required police to obtain a warrant before providing a vehicle's location, and only Tesla notified customers about a police request.

But Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, Volkswagen, BMW, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz and Kia have confirmed they have disclosed location data to government agencies in response to warrantless subpoenas, in violation of commitments to protect driver confidentiality data in the Privacy Principles they submitted to the FTC a decade ago.

The FTC also concluded in a March 2024 report that consumers do not fully understand crash avoidance technology and driver assistance systems, and that improper use could compromise safety and pose risks on the road. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing to regulate automakers under the Safe Connections Act, which was originally aimed at telephone companies.

In addition, California may adopt a bill requiring car companies to block remote access to victims' cars. California privacy regulators are investigating the use of car data from around 2023.

The automotive industry faces a variety of challenges as it is caught between the benefits of innovative technology and regulations. It is expected that regulatory scrutiny will increase as it must balance protecting privacy and improving safety. The New York Times states that automakers will need to establish appropriate data management and privacy protection policies as technology advances.