Nearly all 19 car brands send driver data to third parties (Northeastern/CR)

plc

Disclosure: I'm the founder of AuraVision, which publishes The Signal (the linked site). Posting because the underlying Northeastern/Consumer Reports study is a significant privacy issue worth a technical discussion here. The site has a product point of view, but the reporting and primary sources stand on their own — happy to link the raw sources or dig into specifics in the thread.

VladVladikoff

If you buy a new car from the dealer presumably somewhere in the fine print it gives them permission to do this. But if you buy the same car used from an individual, how does the car company still retain the right to spy? It seems like this must be breaking some sort of privacy laws.

rubyn00bie

This feels like a marketing post. There’s no substance to it and no details, at least for me on mobile. I really don’t understand who or what this is supposed to be for… if Auravision is a product I can’t tell what it is or why it matters.

modeless

This is a vibe coded advertisement.

mikeocool

This link seems to be re-packaging news stories as an ad for whatever auravision is. The actual sources for this (that actually list the 19 car brands) are: https://news.northeastern.edu/2026/09/29/connected-car-priva... https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/personal-informa...

sandworm101

Is it really brand-based? I was looking into a new Honda and discovered the data sharing varied most between models rather than between brands. Some honda's reported much more than others. This seemed to turn on which infotainment system they were using and if the car came with non-optional remote start (cell).

AdamH12113

This page is an ad with minimal substance. Better links would be the Northeastern article: https://news.northeastern.edu/2026/09/29/connected-car-priva... or the study itself: https://automatictransmission.khoury.northeastern.edu/paper....

plc

yeah apologies, it's not meant to be repackaging but a 24/7 news analysis to compact relatively recent cyber related incidents to an HN style update, automate by our AI. This is the first run on this, so I appreciate the patience.

plc

i get the vibe coding angst but I do think this is different, I mean there are 14 agents scouring real time sources 24/7 to put together condensed, readable content for the average user to make them more alarmed (as they should be) about AI privacy. That's the only goal, just education, if it works. If not, we'll shut it down.

metalman

I HATE, loath and despise, my 'smart' car. Every time I aproach the cursed thing I ritualy anounce 'i hate my car', as it helps get that up front and reduces my surprise when it displays some further subtle and horrible behavior or characteristic. So far I can not find any recomendation for a new car that has no screen or capacitive controlls or the least of my concerns, connectivity. And it's far far from just the technology,the whole thing is a norman door on wheels, but it looks like I willhave the financial wearwithal and time to dispose of it and aquire something unfortunately older, but presumably all thought out as one cohearant thing.

ChrisArchitect

Discussion on the study: Automatic Transmission – a data-privacy study of connected vehicles https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49926628 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49954882