Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a system that could communicate privacy rights pertaining to data captured by a vehicle that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on October 26th, 2022, published on May 2nd, 2024, and assigned serial number 0143804.
The Ford Authority Take
Automakers – along with many other types of companies – have been in a bit of proverbial hot water as of late pertaining to privacy and the way that our data is collected and shared. Ford CEO Jim Farley has admitted that privacy is a point of tension between the automaker and consumers, though – unlike some of its competitors – The Blue Oval offers up easier to understand privacy policies and doesn’t collect that information without customer consent. Now, with cameras becoming more and more prevalent in vehicles, FoMoCo has also filed a patent that could warn those nearby if they’re being recorded, which may be used in future Ford vehicles as well.
These days, some vehicles record people that come within a certain proximity as part of built-in security features, or even those that pertain to safety. However, this fact may not settle well with some, as Ford notes in this patent, especially since it’s being done without their consent. Thus, it proposes a way to not only warn those folks that they’re being recorded, but also, give them a chance to delete those images or recordings.
To do that, a vehicle would display a message informing nearby people that they’re being recorded, and then provide something like a QR code or barcode they can scan to obtain details, as well as delete any images of them the vehicle has obtained by using a specific code. It’s an interesting idea for certain, and one that may very well wind up being used in future Ford vehicles, given how big of a sticking point privacy has become.
We’ll have more on this and all Ford patents soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford patent news, Ford business news, and comprehensive Ford news coverage.
Comments
It would be never ending notifications!
Put the QR Code and warning plate under the bonnet/hood. What is the point of having cameras to see thieves breaking into your car only to have them delete the footage. Ford seem to get too many patents for frivolous things that will never eventuate.