Your car and its mobile app are probably handing over all kinds of data to tech companies

Researchers tested 21 late-model vehicles from 17 automakers and 30 companion mobile apps. They found 19 vehicles and seven apps transmitted sensitive data—VINs, emails, phone numbers, precise locations—to third-party tech companies such as Adobe, Google, Meta, and Snap. The data was shared with advertisers, data brokers, insurers, and banks, often without driver notification. Pairing an app with a vehicle roughly doubled exposure to tracking and advertising entities. Automakers largely blamed consumers, except Honda, which revised its data practices after the study.