Get the latest tech news

Cars and Consumer Data: On Unlawful Collection and Use

Some say the car a person drives can say a lot about them. As cars get “connected,” this turns out to be truer than many people might have realized.

In X-Mode, the FTC alleged that the data could be used to track people’s visits to sensitive locations like medical or reproductive health clinics, places of worship, or domestic abuse shelters. For example, the Commission recently alleged that BetterHelp, which offers online counseling services—including those marketed to specific groups like Christians, teens, and the LGBTQ+ community—revealed consumers’ email addresses and health questionnaire information to third parties for advertising purposes. The FTC recently took action against Rite Aid, saying in a complaint that the company enrolled people into a facial recognition program that alerted employees when suspected matches entered their stores.

Get the Android app