Is Mazda selling our driving data?

[JMW]

There was an article in the NYT today that some car companies are collecting data on owner’s driving and selling them to data brokers, who in turn is selling them to insurance companies that then use that data to increase your insurance rates. OnStar and Subaru are 2 that are mentioned. Does anyone know if Mazda is doing the same?

Here’s a gift link to the article:

Automakers Are Sharing Consumers’ Driving Behavior With Insurance Companies

LexisNexis, which generates consumer risk profiles for the insurers, knew about every trip G.M. drivers had taken in their cars, including when they sped, braked too hard or accelerated rapidly.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Selling data that identifies you/us personally?

Not mine, I have no cars that collect this information, nor do they have the ability to transmit it if it was collected.

 

[jbsx]

I sell my data to my insurance co. They use that data to give me a 30% discount on my insurance. For now, well worth the few hundred dollars every 6 months.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

I sell my data to my insurance co. They use that data to give me a 30% discount on my insurance. For now, well worth the few hundred dollars every 6 months.

My insurance company, State Farm, tried to convince me to install one of their baby-sitting devices. It'll save you money! On the surface these things appear attractive but, they also have a dark side.

Let's say that you roll through a stop sign at a 4-way intersection where everyone has to stop, you slowed WAY down but didn't come to a complete stop. The person on your left blows the sign and T-bones you in the intersection.

The data from your car says that you didn't stop and now you can be held, at least partially, accountable for the accident.

No thanks.

 

[jbsx]

Mine is from my phone. No attachments to the car. Never let them attach things to your car. People have said that firstly, it kills their battery. I have no experience with that, but it may also do other things we don't know about. At least with your own phone, you have some control.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Mine is from my phone. No attachments to the car. Never let them attach things to your car. People have said that firstly, it kills their battery. I have no experience with that, but it may also do other things we don't know about. At least with your own phone, you have some control.

Your phone, eh? No waiting for the insurance company to get the data then, it's transmitted by your phone.

"At least with your own phone, you have some control."

Control? What control? You have zero control over what the insurance company is looking at.

In the above scenario how would you control what your phone is sending to your insurance company? You won't and you can't. They'll know that you didn't come to a stop, and you will be held responsible. How much? I think that depends on the state that you live in but I'm not sure about that.

 

[jbsx]

K. Phone gps isn't that good. Besides, I guess I'm a better driver than you.
But you do you and fear the world ending cause you didn't come to a complete stop.

 

[sm1ke]

Drop the confrontational posts please.

There was an article in the NYT today that some car companies are collecting data on owner’s driving and selling them to data brokers, who in turn is selling them to insurance companies that then use that data to increase your insurance rates. OnStar and Subaru are 2 that are mentioned. Does anyone know if Mazda is doing the same?

Here’s a gift link to the article:

Automakers Are Sharing Consumers’ Driving Behavior With Insurance Companies

LexisNexis, which generates consumer risk profiles for the insurers, knew about every trip G.M. drivers had taken in their cars, including when they sped, braked too hard or accelerated rapidly.

www.nytimes.com

If you are worried about this, you can contact your dealer or Mazda Corporate and they can deactivate your connected services. You may lose access to some features if you do.

Here's a link to Mazda's Privacy Policy. Under the Connected Services Privacy Policy, I found this little snippet.

We may anonymize, aggregate or otherwise strip any Personal Information or other information we collect of all personally identifying characteristics and may use or share that aggregated, anonymized data with third parties for any purpose we deem appropriate.

So it doesn't say whether they sell the data or not, but it does specify that they can, as long as the personally identifying information is removed. To me, this means that they wouldn't be able to target you specifically and increase your rates.

 

[wlong01]

I read the article and it does not appear that Mazda is participating.
Maybe they're considered too small.

 

[Bulldog Dad]

If you use the MyMazda app, there's a section within the settings menu that you have to allow called Drive Insure that collects the information mentioned in the article. I have mine disabled, but I have no clue if that actually prevents Mazda from collecting the information without my consent and selling it to a data broker. Photo attached for reference.

 

[gazelle]

I want to move to the "select state"

 

[cz5gt]

Which new car isnt? Take it or leave it and buy some pre-2018 car.
I can tell you that its public secret but there are "data brokers" out there already integrating/selling to the car insurance industry and most if not all auto manufacturers are into it.
But of course nobody will confirm or deny and you cant trace what the car sends anyway as its all encrypted and over the LTE/5G networks.

There is no escape same as with the smart phones 10 years ago, then the smart TVs.
Its not your data anyway the moment you agree to use the product.

 

[GFrosty]

Its not your data anyway the moment you agree to use the product.

That's a bit like saying that purchase of a peach is agreement to use the product, and that that somehow authorizes others to track your movements and usage of it (via whatever 'data collection' they deem they want to inflict).

Shouldn't be anything of the sort. It's merely a power such sellers have taken for themselves. Won't ever make it right.

In short: my comings and goings are my business, and a mere purchase doesn't equate to authorization or approval of a damned thing (let alone proactive agreement to such).

Spittin' in the wind, more or less, since "they" all do it. It's pitiful in the extreme. Not that our grousing will ever halt it. The "beauty" of tech, such as it is.

 

[ceric]

OBDII records a lot of data.

However, if you use an mobile APP, watch out.
Some ask your permission (read carefully before you touch OK/YES).
Others just do it w/o telling you or burying that in thousands of words.

I believe Mazda is among the ones that ask for permission.

 

[Hatchy Zoom]

I recently found out about this. I have an older Mazda and was dreaming about a newer one somewhere down the line, but this has really hampered any such desire. That we just have to throw up our hands and take this abuse from now on is nonsense. The people get what the people accept. It's our choice. I'm really sad that my fav car company has opted (or got pressured) into this maliciously invasive program. Now its our personal data that goes zoom zoom....

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Lots of folks crying about car companies tracking you, they're all up in arms over this.

What about your cell phone? No concern about the greatest tracking device of all time right there in your pocket?

 

[GFrosty]

Lots of folks crying about car companies tracking you, they're all up in arms over this.

What about your cell phone? No concern about the greatest tracking device of all time right there in your pocket?

Indeed, the mobile tracking devices people carry everywhere do just that. Even if only cataloguing the "ping" data, it can end up a fairly accurate documentation of where and when somebody's traveling. Almost no constraints on the access to such data by Uncle, sadly.

Of course, for those of us who don't carry such tracking devices it's much less problematic. Wasn't a problem (doing without) in the 1970s, prior to such devices existing. Isn't any worse of a problem nowadays, even if most people won't consider any such thing.

 

[Lazy2.5]

Selling data that identifies you/us personally?

Not mine, I have no cars that collect this information, nor do they have the ability to transmit it if it was collected.

A 2023 Toyota in our family, right around the sunroof switches areas literally states that the vehicle health and the way it is being operated (Drivers habits) are being collected.

I am more than confident that essentially every newer car does this, and that the data is being transmitted. (Not necessarily to insurance agencies.)

If you are under the impression that your car isn't doing this, you are wrong.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

A 2023 Toyota in our family, right around the sunroof switches areas literally states that the vehicle health and the way it is being operated (Drivers habits) are being collected.

I am more than confident that essentially every newer car does this, and that the data is being transmitted. (Not necessarily to insurance agencies.)

If you are under the impression that your car isn't doing this, you are wrong.

I'm wrong? How is my 2016.5 transmitting this data?

It's not 'connected' in anyway so there's no avenue to send this data. It may store data in its 'black box' but it can't transmit it without any mechanism to do so.

Through my cell phone? That's not happening either.

 

[Lazy2.5]

I'm wrong? How is my 2016.5 transmitting this data?

It's not 'connected' in anyway so there's no avenue to send this data. It may store data in its 'black box' but it can't transmit it without any mechanism to do so.

Through my cell phone? That's not happening either.

How are you certain that our vehicles don't have any way to transmit the data?

Some small device to do so can and im certain is inserted somewhere to do so.