This study looks at how and with whom connected cars share your data

Between the cars and their companion apps, you’re exposed to a lot of trackers.

The short version

• Attempts to actually see what was in the data packets using modified certificates failed in every case.
• All of the cars contacted a first-party domain (i.e., the OEM)—after all, all the cars tested were connected cars and that means connecting to something.
• And a few left it there—the Buick Envista and Mercedes-Benz EQS didn’t appear to reach out to anywhere else, for example.

What happened

Others were far more promiscuous, with Tesla topping the chart: The Model 3 contacted 34 advertising, tracking, and analytic domains, as well as 37 domains from apps integrated into the infotainment system. Alphabet’s domains were the most frequently contacted—again not enormously surprising given the penetration of its Android Automotive OS into the sector.

Why it matters

“But many of the [second-level domains] we observed were not necessary for core services (e.g., doubleclick.net and googlesyndication.com, which are used for advertising purposes),” the authors wrote.

Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.