Buying a connected vehicle
Do you want to buy a new car? This will very likely be a car that is connected to the Internet, also called a ‘connected car’. In addition to cars, motorbikes, motor scooters and bicycles are increasingly connected to the Internet and can collect and exchange all sorts of data. We call them ‘connected vehicles’. On this page you can read what you can pay attention to when buying a connected vehicle.
On this page
Pay attention to this when buying a connected vehicle
When selecting a connected vehicle, you can pay attention to a number of things yourself if you want to protect your privacy:
- which data of you are collected by the vehicle;
- how these data are secured;
- whether you are given information about your privacy rights.
Investigate which data are involved
Do you want to buy a connected vehicle? Then investigate in advance which data are collected by the vehicle, why the vehicle does this, and what happens with the data. You are entitled to information when buying a connected vehicle.
Through the vehicle, the manufacturer of the vehicle may collect a lot of data about you, such as:
- where you have been recently;
- how fast you have driven;
- whom you called from the car.
Take a look at Data collected by connected vehicles for more examples. In this way, many data about your personal life are collected. The manufacturer may share this information with other organisations as well.
You can investigate the following:
- Which app is used for making a connection between my phone and the car? And do I have to create an account for this?
- Which data about me are collected by the app and the vehicle?
- What is done with those data?
- With whom are those data shared?
- Is the manufacturer required by law to collect these data or can you choose for yourself which systems you want or do not want to use?
- An example of mandatory data collection is eCall. This is a system that is mandatory in all new vehicles and that calls 112 of its own accord in the case of an accident with sufficient damage (measured by registered forces impacting the vehicle).
- Are your personal data sold on or shared with other countries, whether or not outside the EU, such as China and America? Your personal data cannot be shared safely with all countries outside the EU.
Information about this can be found:
- On the website of the manufacturer, importer or dealer of the vehicle.
- In the information provided to you with a software update. When providing software updates, manufacturers can also add new functions or handle your personal data in a different way.
- In the instruction manual or user's guide of the vehicle.
- At the dealer of the vehicle.
Investigate the security of the data
It is important to be certain that the manufacturer secures your data properly. This is why, before buying a new vehicle, you should investigate what the manufacturer says about the security of your data:
- Does the manufacturer promise software updates, and do those updates always improve the security as well? Because you want to be certain of adequate security, now and in the future.
- Does the manufacturer promise that it will continue to ensure proper security of its own computer systems? Your personal data will probably also be stored in the cloud. The data must be properly protected there as well.
- Does the manufacturer promise to remove all of your data when you sell the vehicle? And does the manufacturer also explain how you can arrange this?
Pay attention to your privacy rights
The manufacturer, importer or dealer has to inform you about your privacy rights and how you can use them.
Submitting a complaint or tip-off about a connected vehicle
Do you not receive any information about which data are collected by the vehicle, why the vehicle does this, and what happens with those data? Then you can submit a tip-off or complaint to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Dutch DPA).