Today’s cars are no Longer just there to drive one from A to B. Cars have become mobile supercomputers that captures a lot of data.
The Car Manufacturer knows where you live, how good the roads are there, how often the seat belt is worn or how heavy the driver weighs. Yes! Your car knows when have put on a few kilograms over summer. Also your driving style is no longer secret. In addition, there are hundreds of sensors in a car that constantly record data. All this information reveal a lot about your preferences and your behavior. Since cars are now connected to the Internet, this data can be shared very easily.
Except from the manufacturer, public or private companies are also interested in these data. Google can calculate where to refuel next based on the fuel level or the National Weather Service can use the rain sensor to collect weather data directly from the driver instead of building a new weather station. In the near future, the driver will also be able to demand money for this data. Insurance companies already collect travel data and reward good and safe driving with premium reductions.
Especially in the development of self-driving cars, data security plays a big role. Data will no longer be shared only with selected third parties but with everyone else on the road and with infrastructure like parking spots or traffic lights. A smooth yet secure interaction is mandatory since all these new interactions make the entire system more vulnerable. Great damage could arise should hackers be able to take over or intervene in this self-organized system. The personal information one keeps to oneself up to now will be shared onto a giant network that is interdependent on various parties’ actions.
Your car might receive the information that the route you planned will experience heavy downpour and advise you to take an alternative route that is longer and require you to stop over at a partner’s gas station for refueling. If you reject the route, they might send the information to your insurance who might choose to not cover you for ignoring the advise. You are no longer free to make up your own mind without being penalized. In fact, your privacy, your freedom of choice will be taken away with a intricate system of punishments and rewards.
Whether this is good or bad, everyone must decide for himself. There’s not much you can do about the simple evolution of technology. Car manufacturer and politics will have to deal with a lot of cybersecurity, data protection and privacy issues. The development of such technologies will become ever stronger and one should at least be aware to what extent one’s personal data is collected.
