Ford publishes data commitment and explainer site ahead of more connected vehicles

Ford has made a formal public pledge about the handling of information gathered from its vehicles, according to TechCrunch. The carmaker calls the initiative a "privacy promise" and has paired it with a new website that describes what data it collects, how that data is used, and how owners can opt in or out of sharing.

The privacy controls themselves are not new. Ford says they have been available for years, and the change is in how clearly the company explains them. The timing is tied to the company's plans for a new generation of more connected cars, including models built on its upcoming "universal electric vehicle" platform.

Trade-offs and limits

Ford's chief privacy officer, Kristin Jones, told TechCrunch that switching off some data sharing will disable certain features. Turning off connected services, for example, removes real-time navigation and built-in roadside assistance. Vehicle health data, she said, gives owners timely maintenance information and also supports research into future technology.

The company states that the data will not be used for targeted advertising and that information about how customers drive is not passed to data brokers. Jones said the goal is offering useful services, not finding ways to make money from the data.

Industry context

The announcement comes as concern over car data grows. Polling cited in the report found that only 14% of US customers fully understand what their vehicles collect. General Motors faced action from the Federal Trade Commission over selling such data to third parties and recently reached a $220 million settlement with 36 states. Ford's own survey of 1,000 consumers found that 91% considered data privacy a key factor. Other companies, including EV startup Slate Auto, have also promoted their data practices as a way to stand out.

Jones joined Ford in 2024 after nearly two decades in privacy roles in the legal, financial and healthcare sectors. She said the effort has been underway for most of her time at the company.

What it means for technology users

Cars are becoming networked devices, and the same privacy questions that apply to phones, apps and online services now apply to vehicles. People who follow digital privacy may want to review the data settings and published policies of any connected product they use. They should weigh which features depend on sharing and which kinds of data they are comfortable providing to a manufacturer.