DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA — You probably know your phone is spying on you, but what you might not realize is that your car is doing it too.<br /><br />The Washington Post reports that connected cars can track and monitor location, driving habits, fuel usage, and even music preferences, and relay this information back to automakers.<br /><br />The data is supposedly meant to update car features and improve safety, and in some cases help law enforcement evaluate accidents or crashes.<br /><br />But it can also put consumers at risk. Location data can be used to infer sensitive information about a person's health, religion, or political affiliation, and a unique profile can be developed with enough data points.<br /><br />With no car privacy rule to regulate them, automakers can partner with data firms, and generate revenue when the information is sold to third party companies.<br /><br />Car companies technically inform customers about the data collection, but they're often buried in lengthy contracts.<br /><br />Despite claims that driver data is not shared without consent, a lack of transparency means customers don't know what happens to their data and how exactly it is used.
