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Ford launches a ‘privacy promise’ and explains how and why it uses customer data
Ford unveils a privacy promise and a website explaining how and why it uses customer vehicle data.
Key points
- Ford unveiled on Monday what it calls a "privacy promise", an explicit commitment to keep vehicle data safe.
- Ford launched a website explaining what data it collects, how it uses it, and how customers can opt in or out.
- Ford says it does not share driving information with data brokers and does not seek to monetize customer data.
Why it matters. The move may help Ford build customer trust as automakers make cars more connected and face scrutiny over selling vehicle data to third parties.
Ford unveiled on Monday a "privacy promise" and a new website explaining what customer vehicle data it collects, how it uses that data and how drivers can opt in or out. Chief privacy officer Kristin Jones told TechCrunch the company wants to make its data practices very clear and commit to customers about them. Jones said Ford does not share driving information with data brokers, and that the data supports research and development for future technologies.
Latest updates
Ford launches a ‘privacy promise’ and explains how and why it uses customer data
Ford said it's making an "explicit commitment" to its customers that "their vehicle data is safe" with the company. As Ford prepares to launch a new generation of connected cars, the automaker is making a public promise about how it will handle that information. The company unveiled on Monday what it calls a “privacy promise” — an “explicit commitment” to keep customers’ vehicle data safe and give them control over what they share. Ford also launched a website designed to educate customers about how, where, and why the automakers uses their data, and to show them how to change those settings. While those controls have existed for years now, Ford wants to communicate more clearly with its customers about them, especially ahead of the launch of new, more connected vehicles like the ones being built on its upcoming “universal electric vehicle” platform. “I personally think that it’s super important for us to be making it very clear to our customers what our data practices are, and not only that, but making a commitment to them about it,” Ford’s chief privacy officer Kristin Jones said in an interview with TechCrunch. “I also see this as a great opportunity to educate our customers about how they share data.” This new privacy push comes as automakers are making their cars increasingly connected. While some polling shows U.S. customers want the kinds of features enabled by this conn.