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Mozilla review of 25 car brands finds they're "a privacy nightmare"
(foundation.mozilla.org)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Mazda wasn't on the list, so I was curious: https://www.mazdausa.com/site/privacy-connectedservices
At least they won't sell your data without permission, for what it's worth these days.
Permission is probably mandatory to use your car.
By operating the car, you hereby grant us permission to perform the services outlined herein.
*847 pages of legalese.
FTFY
There's also a number you can call to have them stop doing it, supposedly.
My favorite: It collects the GPS coordinates of where you turned off the car and transmits that information. Every time you shut off the engine. We didn't get the nav feature in our 2020 Mazda 3, but the hardware is still there so it can do this (and so buyers can pay $300 for the SD card that makes it work, which we didn't).
But at least most of the information they collect is about the car, not the people, unlike some of the other brands.
I wonder if they detect me cursing at the car when it does something stupid, like swerving back toward obstacles I was trying to avoid. (That "feature" got turned off. I don't need that shit in my life.)
Unfortunately convincing my wife we should buy an older car that doesn't have all this shit is going to be a huge mountain to climb. Sigh. I hate new cars.