car companies are selling data for next to nothing per unitSee all those fancy screens in the center stacks of modern cars?As it turns out, infotainment systems aren't just for the benefit of the user-instead, automakers are collecting your data and selling it off to third parties so it can be used to sell you what they suspect you want. A recent survey shows just how much the automakers are making per vehicle by jeopardizing user privacy, and it isn't much.car companies are selling data for next to nothing per unitIn a recent story, Automotive News dove into the results of a survey conducted by Omdia about software-defined vehicles. This category reflects many new passenger cars sold today, as software and computers handle or oversee pretty much every vehicular function.AdvertisementAdvertisementDepending on the brand, buyers of said vehicles may or may not be able to opt out of the data harvesting. Where does the data go? Primarily to insurance and insurance-related companies, or to other data brokers, who in turn sell the data. This affects insurance rates and helps vendors (including automakers) understand what people are looking for in their next purchase.There have already been lawsuits galore over circumstances like these. Whether it's ethical or even profitable are two very different questions, but we do know for certain that most manufacturers would do anything to gain even a small fraction of added profit off every vehicle sold.Then again, those profits on the sale of collected data aren't exactly massive. Automotive News writes that from 2018 to 2024, Hyundai only made $0.61 per vehicle from selling user data, while Honda made even less, at $0.26 per vehicle from 2020 to 2024.Is it worth it? Not by our books, but we're not looking at a massive OEM's finances as critically as those forced to maximize profit are.Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.
