The rise of the connected car and what it means for your safety, privacy

TORONTO – Consumer demand to be connected to the web at all times has put a spotlight on the new wave of auto technology.

From “infotainment” systems that provide drivers with everything from entertainment to traffic conditions, to Wi-Fi enabled cars that are advertised moving hotspots, vehicles are becoming a kind of gadget on their own.

General Motors is one of the biggest players banking on consumers need for mobile Internet. The company is producing vehicles with built in 4G LTE Wi-Fi under its Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands.

Consumers may also see Android-like operating systems coming to GM vehicles as early as 2016.

In 2012, GM signed a US$900 million contract with supplier Harman International to create a next-generation infotainment system for its vehicles. During a conference call with analysts earlier this month, Harman International CEO Dinesh Paliwal revealed the system will be based on Google’s Android mobile operating system.

“As you would expect, this next-generation infotainment solution will enable an app store, which allows this infotainment system to stay technologically relevant over the life cycle of the vehicle,” said Paliwal, adding that apps would be developed by both GM and third parties.

READ MORE: Wi-Fi enabled cars pose ‘great concern’ to safety, says researcher

While the connected car may seem like a great idea to gadget-loving consumers, experts are cautious to label the high-tech vehicles as safe.

And one thing remains high on the list of concerns – the risk for distracted driving.

Jeff Walker, head of public affairs for the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), said that while many auto companies have introduced features that try to limit driver distraction, part of the problem is human nature.

“Our feeling is that there are opportunities for these systems to work in ways that they aren’t distracting, but we are still in a place where many of them are,” Walker told Global News.

“Sometimes we are looking straight ahead at something and we know we aren’t seeing anything – that’s the real threat.”

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Walker said even features that are supposed to keep the driver’s eyes on the road pose a threat – especially voice-to-text technology. He argues that the action of dictating something to your car is equally as distracting as physically texting.

READ MORE: Microsoft’s phone update to feature driving mode

But automakers like General Motors say they are doing their due diligence to prevent distracting driving.

“GM’s overall objective is to make our integrated telematics and infotainment systems seamless and easy for customers to use while driving, so that they no longer feel the need to engage in the dangerous practice of trying to communicate through their smartphones,” said George Saratlic, product communications manager at GM.

And, when it comes to those infotainment screens, GM vehicles use a lock-out protocol when the vehicle is in motion, which prevents the use of “systems that create unnecessary and excessive attention demands on the driver.”

Driver data plays a role in the risks

Aside from consumer-oriented features, vehicles themselves are now riddled with high-tech features found in virtually every component.

“Five to 10 years ago there was a black box in the car where you could figure out how fast a car was going in the event of a crash – and that was the only way you could collect info,” said Walker.

Now, everything from tire pressure, to brake-wear is measured by sensors that feed information back to the vehicle’s computer. The danger, Walker said, is that manufacturers are now able to collect data more easily thanks to web-connected features.

“Auto manufacturers can record everything from what radio station you are listing to, to what you pulled up on that screen,” he said.

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CAA believes there should be greater transparency about what information is being collected from manufacturers and how they will use it.

Industry experts have long expressed concerns that information downloaded from consumer vehicles may be handed over to authorities without a court order, sold to insurance companies, or used for targeted advertising.

But automakers seem to be taking steps to address privacy concerns.

On Wednesday, manufacturers accounting for most of the passenger cars and trucks sold in the U.S. delivered a set of principles they say will protect motorists’ privacy to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which has the authority to force corporations to live up to their promises to consumers.

READ MORE: Automakers vow to protect consumer privacy in an era of connected cars

The automakers’ principles leave open the possibility of deals with advertisers who want to target motorists based on their location and other personal data, but only if customers agree ahead of time that they want to receive such information, according to industry officials.

However, the principles ensure that automakers must “implement reasonable measures” to protect personal information from unauthorized access.

Nineteen automakers including BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, and Mercedes-Benz signed the agreement.

Global News contacted the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding whether it is looking into privacy concerns surrounding connected cars in Canada. A spokesperson confirmed that the use of telematics in vehicles is “an issue of interest.”

“In Canada, we are already seeing the use of telematics for insurance purposes, raising privacy questions.  The data from vehicle sensors could potentially be used for a number of other purposes, some of which can raise privacy concerns such as the potential for data matching and profiling,” said the spokesperson.

“We have met with industry stakeholders to discuss privacy issues related to the use of telematics and we are currently supporting independent research into this issue.”

That research includes a study by the British Columbia Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, investigating the privacy implications of connected cars. According to a statement, that research should be concluded by March 2015.