Ford Launches Privacy Promise to Block Data Sales

Ford Motor Company launched the Privacy Promise, a new initiative pledging that the automaker will never sell customer driving data to third-party data brokers or insurers. The program introduces a dedicated website and allows owners of vehicles manufactured in 2018 or later to manage data-sharing preferences via the Ford app or the vehicle's center display.

The initiative is built on three core principles: integrating privacy into product development, simplifying privacy explanations to avoid complex legal language, and allowing customers to customize their data settings. Ford utilizes anonymization and aggregation to protect personal information. However, the company noted that opting out of data sharing involves trade-offs, as disabling connected services can deactivate features such as BlueCruise, real-time navigation, remote start, and wireless software updates.

Chief Privacy Officer Kristin Jones stated the commitment is intended to earn customer trust as upcoming electric vehicles generate more data. The move follows a $220 million settlement by General Motors over allegations that it improperly sold customer driving and location data to brokers, who then shared the information with insurance companies. The announcement also comes after Mozilla labeled connected cars as a high-risk category for privacy. Ford's privacy resources are rolling out in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.