As cars get smarter, privacy woes emerge | Economic Times

Mumbai: Remember that business deal you brokered while being chauffeured in your limousine? Or that cathartic conversation you had with your significant other on that long drive? Chances are that the smart assistant in your car was listening to it. What’s more – it also probably knows about the places you drove to.When privacy and the dilemma of trading personal data for the convenience of using technology are taking centre stage these days, it is pertinent to know that cars – and by extension – the carmakers, perhaps know as much about you as your messaging app or web search assistant.Demand for high-technology features in cars has been on the rise in India and equipment manufacturers have been adding ease-of-use features including smart/voice assistants like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant. Cars in India made by MG Motor, Hyundai, Kia and Mercedes-Benz, among others, come with on-board SIM cards that offer smart features over the internet.80890992Voice assistants in cars have become handy tools that help drivers change the music or adjust the air-conditioning without taking their hands off the steering wheel. To do that, the assistant actively listens to ambient sounds to pick up the wake word – a predetermined word or phrase that triggers a response.Once the wake word is heard, the assistant records what is said over the next few seconds and sends it to the cloud for processing using the onboard SIM card. Smartphones and smart speakers also do this.However, much like the risk involved in using a smart speaker, which can accidentally get activated without the user’s permission, smart cars, too, can potentially listen in to you without your knowledge.Researchers from Northeastern University and Imperial College London found in a 2019 study that smart speakers accidentally activate as many as 19 times a day, sometimes recording as much as 43 seconds of audio each time.Smart assistants can also track vehicle location when the in-car navigation software is used. This will be especially true for electric vehicles that use this data to suggest nearby charging stations.The purpose of discussing the matter of smart vehicles collecting user data is not to create panic among users over privacy concerns but to help them make an informed choice when considering these technologies, experts said.“The data are predominantly collected to improve the user experience. With the current focus on privacy, it is imperative that all service providers clearly indicate the terms and conditions for data access,” said Roshan Batheri, director for automotive and manufacturing industry hub at Capgemini.Vehicle owners have so far been positive about adopting these features. According to a Capgemini survey, 95% of Indian respondents preferred more voice controls and better infotainment features in vehicles.An executive at technology firm KPIT said car owners have been happy to sign up for smart features as long as they have reasonable assurance on the safety and potential usage of their data. Consumers already use Amazon, Google and Apple’s smart speakers in their homes and maps on their smartphones. Cars will become a natural and prevalent extension of the connected experience, the executive said.Voice or location data are processed by either the automaker or the technology provider, depending on their agreement, but usually it is the latter and they are also responsible for data security, Arnold Vogt, head of Digital CX and IoT at PAC told ET via email.Queries emailed to MG Motor, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz on Monday evening about data privacy and the technology providers involved remained unanswered till press time. Kia declined to comment.However, there are concerns of miscreants hacking into connected cars and accessing personal data like private conversations and location. Fiat Chrysler had to recall 1.4 million cars in the US in 2015 after hackers showed it was possible to take control of a Jeep SUV over the internet.Building these features into vehicles and capturing the “data exhaust” is the natural progression for automakers as technology develops and they diversify beyond manufacturing, according to Ravi Bhatia, president at automotive business intelligence firm Jato Dynamics.“Data is going to be the biggest value generator for car companies in the future,” Bhatia said.Data is the new oil, as the cliché goes.