Ford has launched the 'Privacy Promise,' a new initiative designed to clarify how the automaker handles customer data and to provide owners with more direct control over their privacy settings. The company states that it builds products with privacy as a core consideration, utilizing privacy-enhancing technologies such as data anonymization and aggregation to protect personal information. According to Ford, the initiative aims to build trust by providing 'straight talk' about how vehicle data—including diagnostics, driving characteristics, and location—is used to power connected services, troubleshoot vehicle issues, and support research and development for future technologies.

Owners can manage their data-sharing preferences through the vehicle's center display or via the Ford App. Ford emphasizes that while they use data to enhance the driving experience and personalize services, they do not sell driving behavior data to data brokers or insurance companies. The company's research, which surveyed over 1,000 U.S. consumers, suggests that while privacy is a significant concern, customers also recognize the value of data sharing for vehicle utility. The survey indicated that consumers generally trust automakers as stewards of privacy more than many other large organizations that handle personal data.

A graphic illustrating a survey of over 1,000 U.S. consumers regarding vehicle privacy.
Ford surveyed over 1,000 U.S. consumers to understand their perspectives on vehicle privacy and data sharing.www.fromtheroad.ford.com

This image relates to the survey results mentioned in the second paragraph regarding consumer trust and privacy concerns.

A visual representation of survey respondents' trust in automakers as data stewards.
Survey data indicates that consumers generally trust automakers more than other large organizations to manage personal data.www.fromtheroad.ford.com

This visual supports the claim in the second paragraph that consumers view automakers as trusted stewards of privacy.

A graphic highlighting the balance between customer privacy values and the utility of data sharing.
While privacy is a priority, customers also recognize the functional value that data sharing provides to their vehicles.www.fromtheroad.ford.com

This image illustrates the balance between privacy and utility discussed in the second paragraph of the article.

However, the level of control provided by the Privacy Promise involves specific functional trade-offs. Ford notes that while customers can choose to share no connected vehicle data at all, doing so will disable several key features. Specifically, opting out of data sharing will render services like BlueCruise (Ford's hands-free driving technology), general internet connectivity, and app-based location data unusable. For vehicles manufactured in 2018 or later, owners can access these settings directly on the vehicle's screen to decide which features they wish to keep active and what data they are willing to share to maintain them.