Michael Finney explains how Consumer Watchdog hacked into a Tesla and calls for stronger protections on connected cars.

A recent state law limits how companies gather data about you, and it prohibits them from selling it. But Consumer Watchdog says companies found a loophole in the law. 

“Prop 24 closes a critical loophole that companies were trying to use to say, ‘Well we can share your data, we don’t sell it, it’s fine.,” Carmen Balber with Consumer Watchdog said.

Prop 24 would also create a privacy commission to regulate and enforce any new privacy rights, and it would triple fines on companies that violate children’s privacy. 

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) took effect January 1st, 2020. Jamie Court of Consumer Watchdog stresses the importance of the act and its value as a deterrent for companies who profit from the sale of consumer data.

Consumer Watchdog Executive Director Carmen Balber explains why drivers should be outraged by the California DMV selling their private data to insurance companies.

Senator Markey urges NHTSA to protect consumers from the cybersecurity risks posed by internet-connected cars referencing Consumer Watchdog's Kill Switch report. 

"Automakers have acknowledged the dangers of interconnected cars to their investors and shareholders but they have not disclosed those same cyber risks to the public at large," said Senator Markey citing the Kill Switch report. 

The Kill Switch report from Consumer Watchdog says cars with internet connectivity are vulnerable to hacking and outside interference with crucial systems including brakes and steering. A 50 cent kill switch could address the problem and sever the car's essential safety systems from the internet. "The security in these cars is no better than a smart phone," says Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court, "and that's not good enough. The danger is these connections can be hacked and when the connection can be hacked, the car can be hacked and someone can take control of the car." 

Some mobile phone carriers have been limiting or slowing consumers cell phone data despite them having unlimited data plans. Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court says consumers have to make an informed decision before signing off on a plan and to know where the throttling limit is or go to another carrier.

With online search results affecting everything from jobs to relationships, more people are pushing to have a say in shaping their digital narratives - and that includes "the right to be forgotten." But critics say delisting information online is censorship, and it’s not in the public interest to rewrite history.

Car suppliers – like Harman International – and major automakers are spending more than they ever have on securing vehicles. But a Consumer Watchdog study says safety concerns related to connected cars are only increasing. Others in the auto industry say those fears may be overblown.

United States Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal have written to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to ask if carmakers have reported the cybersecurity vulnerabilities in their Internet-connected cars and what steps NHTSA is taking to address the problem.