Ingram Publishing/Newscom/The Mega AgencyYour car apps may be tracking you and sending data to some of the world's biggest tech companies, including Google and Meta.That is the key finding of a study by Northeastern University and Consumer Reports, which examined 30 companion apps linked to a total of 21 vehicles from 19 brands.As per Gadget Review, the testing found that some apps transmitted data that could identify the specific vehicle and even the owner of the car.Almost every app also sent some kind of data to outside advertising or analytics companies.Gareth Lewis/Universal Images Group/Newscom/The Mega AgencyIn total, 28 of the 30 apps contacted at least one external advertising or analytics company.Seven of those apps passed on more detailed information, including things which would personally identify owners, such as a driver's name, a vehicle identification number, or precise geographic location to outside parties.Consumer Reports says that in its investigation, more than 70 percent of the tested apps contacted at least five separate tracking or analytics domains.Recipients of the driver data included some of the country's largest tech companies, such as Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Pinterest, Snap and Yahoo.Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group/Newscom/The Mega AgencyNicole Zagson, a doctoral candidate in cybersecurity at Northeastern and a study co-author said: "Whether or not consumers are aware, big tech companies are all over the vehicles that we drive."Another co-author, Sarah Elizabeth Gillespie, said: "It does not appear that a customer can buy a new car that does not track you."The VIN(vehicle identification number) in your car that is at the center of the data transmissions cannot be reset the way a cookie can.It is a permanent, vehicle-specific number assigned during manufacturing. Unlike an advertising ID on your phone, which can typically be reset through your device settings, a VIN stays attached to the car indefinitely.Read More From First for AutosOlder Electric Vehicles Have Lower Failure Rates Than Gasoline Rivals in New StudyCybertruck Coated in $60,000 Worth of 24-Karat Gold Sold for Shockingly Low Amount at AuctionNew Mazda CX-6e Can Swear at Other Drivers for You With Built-In External SpeakerThis story Car Apps Are Sharing Driver Data With Big Tech Companies, New Study Finds first appeared on First for Autos. Follow First for Autos on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.
