Ford Chief Data Officer Says Company Doesn’t Share Data

Data sharing and privacy have been at the top of consumers’ minds for some time now, and for good reason. After all, with the rise of connected vehicle technology, the cars we own and drive are collecting and sharing more data than ever before. Recently, Ford’s cross-town rival General Motors was caught selling data to insurance providers without owner consent or knowledge. However, that isn’t the case at Ford, as the company’s chief data officer recently reiterated.

When asked if Ford keeps a “big secret file” of information on its customers, Kristin Jones, Ford’s chief privacy officer, was quick to shoot down such a notion. “No, we do not keep one big file on you. We collect information to make sure your vehicle works or we can identify safety issues early – things like that,” she said.

“When you think of the collection of data and creating a profile on someone, you’re thinking about selling that data to advertise to that person or influence their behavior. But that’s not what we do – we actually don’t sell connected vehicle data, period. Our data collection is used primarily to ensure vehicle performance quality, offer products and services you request, and ensure safety. We want to make sure your vehicle is functioning the way you want it to and that your technician has good diagnostic info when they check your vehicle.”

Ford already confirmed that it doesn’t sell any connected vehicle data to brokers this past June, but these comments are notable – and likely needed – given all of the attention centered around this topic these days. As Ford Authority reported back in January, GM’s deceptive practices designed to encourage customers to enroll in OnStar services such as Smart Driver – which in some cases have led to higher insurance rates for those same customers – prompted the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to reveal a new proposal that bans both GM and OnStar from sending data revolving around a driver’s location and behavior to consumer reporting agencies, with hefty fines for any violations that might occur.