Skip advert
Advertisement

Modern car tech can do all sorts of things, if you’re willing to give up your privacy

Are our cars becoming a bit too nosy? Editor Paul Barker shares his concerns

Opinion - car tech privacy

Amid all the tech-driven excitement of the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show, there was one thing that left me feeling uneasy. 

These shows are always about cutting-edge innovations and how brilliant they are going to be, but I found myself leaving Las Vegas pondering how much drivers are going to welcome one development in particular.

Advertisement - Article continues below

As cars get smarter in terms of on-board gadgetry, their thirst for knowledge will only increase. And, as Honda admitted when pushed on the subject, it’s going to create a divide between people happy to share their lives with their car, and those concerned about what it knows about them and where the data goes. The implication is, if you don’t engage with the car’s desire to know you, you won’t be able to enjoy its capabilities. 

After all, we’re now close to systems on cars that will actively converse rather than wait to be summoned, will make suggestions about routes based on where you’ve driven before, will select music or comfort settings based on your perceived mood, and will recognise and remember passengers by voice. 

It’s a constantly evolving tech that we’re already well down the road with, but giving it a funky, matey name, attractive voice or a cutesy avatar, as some of the Chinese brands are wont to do, shouldn’t disguise the fact that you’re chatting to a bunch of code, rather than a friend. And when it recognises and addresses passengers individually, let alone starts alerting you to traffic problems based on the fact that you normally go to a certain place on a certain day, or playing Taylor Swift because it thinks you’ve split up with your partner… that’s a lot of valuable data your car is scraping from you every day.

The smartphone comparison is a valid one, because as a society we’ve traded privacy and data for the massive convenience that smartphones bring. But are we ready and willing to do the same with our cars? 

The industry has got work to do to reassure drivers that data remains private, and that car manufacturers will resist the temptation to monetise information on where people go and when. Who knows what about us – and what they’re doing with it – could be among the most important questions of car ownership in the near future. 

Did you know you can sell your car with Auto Express? Get the highest bid from our network of over 5,500 dealers and we'll do the rest. Click here to try Auto Express Sell My Car now...

Skip advert
Advertisement

As Editor, Paul’s job is to steer the talented group of people that work across Auto Express and Driving Electric, and steer the titles to even bigger and better things by bringing the latest important stories to our readers. Paul has been writing about cars and the car industry since 2000, working for consumer and business magazines as well as freelancing for national newspapers, industry titles and a host of major publications.

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Radical Honda 0 SUV prototype makes public debut, and you’ll never guess who was driving
Honda 0 SUV prototype being driven by Max Verstappen - front

Radical Honda 0 SUV prototype makes public debut, and you’ll never guess who was driving

The new electric SUV will be pivotal to Honda’s future, and is due to go into production next year
News
3 Apr 2025
New Kia PV5 teaser images tell us it will look very different to its electric van rivals
Kia PV5 teaser - front

New Kia PV5 teaser images tell us it will look very different to its electric van rivals

Latest pictures show the Kia PV5 will bring concept looks to the commercial vans class as it gears up for unveiling this month
News
13 Feb 2025
Hyundai unveils world's first holographic windscreen
Hyundai Mobis ‘Holographic Windshield Display’

Hyundai unveils world's first holographic windscreen

Vast head-up display that stretches entire width of windscreen revealed at CES and could be in production by 2027
News
10 Jan 2025
Suzuki Jimny transformed into driverless delivery van
Applied EV Suzuki Jimny - front (with cargo)

Suzuki Jimny transformed into driverless delivery van

Customisable autonomous vehicle is based on the go-anywhere 4x4, but that doesn’t mean a Jimny EV is on the way
News
8 Jan 2025

Most Popular

Not bothered by MoT advisories? That may be about to change
Protyre area manager Simon Hall inspecting a Vauxhall Corsa's tyre

Not bothered by MoT advisories? That may be about to change

The number of MoT failures caused by worn tyres is on the rise, and experts are calling for mandatory follow-ups on advisories
News
12 May 2025
EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs
BYD Atto 3 - front cornering

EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs

Running costs for car share club EVs are £6k higher than ICE equivalents according to new data
News
8 May 2025
Mazda MX-5 goes electric: the iconic roadster's radical future
Mazda MX-5 EV exclusive image - front

Mazda MX-5 goes electric: the iconic roadster's radical future

The next Mazda MX-5 roadster is set to be offered as a pure EV, and our exclusive images preview how it could look
News
10 May 2025