Driving Data Dissemination: The "Terms" Governing Connected Car Information

As automotive data increase in scale and value, it is important to understand who owns and has the ability to access information generated by connected vehicles. The plummeting costs of sensing, connectivity, and storage mean that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), their suppliers, and end users have access to more realtime data than ever [1]. Data collection is complicated by the public's perception that data are kept locally to the vehicle, as opposed to being sent to the connected car service. We have seen in other industries how confusion about terms of service can lead to large and potentially harmful misunderstanding. This article explores the complexities of automotive data ownership, privacy, accessibility, and stewardship by comparing and contrasting automotive terms of service ("Terms"), agreements critical to an emerging US$11.6-$ 92.6 billion market, from multiple stakeholders' perspectives [2]. In the comparison, we aim to highlight the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities that may prevent connected-vehicle services from suffering the same pitfalls as related industries. Our discussion is highlighted in a matrix comparing and contrasting information ownership, access, and control Terms for customers, OEMs, their subsidiaries, partners, affiliates in the U.S. market, and regulatory agencies. The results are useful for service designers, end users, and regulators to evaluate Terms for differing and often competing interests and constraints.