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Ford launched a Privacy Promise website explaining what connected vehicle data it may collect, how it uses the information and how drivers can turn sharing off. Ford says drivers who opt out can get a “quasi-’80s mode” experience, but may lose connected features such as live navigation and location-based services.
Ford has launched a Privacy Promise website explaining what connected-vehicle information it may collect and how drivers can opt out, offering what the company calls a “quasi-’80s mode” for owners who want less-connected cars. The choice has a practical cost: some services that rely on connectivity, including live navigation and location features, may no longer work.
The site describes categories of information Ford may collect depending on the vehicle, including location data, driving characteristics and diagnostic information. It also covers data gathered through the vehicle and Ford’s smartphone app, and explains how the company uses that information and how drivers can disable sharing. The available data and controls may vary by model.
Ford Chief Privacy Officer Kristin Jones described the opt-out aim in a statement to Automotive News: drivers who do not want to share connected data with Ford should be able to opt out and have an experience closer to an older, less-connected car. Turning off connected navigation, internet connectivity or location features, however, can limit functions that depend on those services. Ford’s site is intended to explain that trade-off rather than promise that every vehicle feature will remain available offline.
The report says Ford maintains it does not sell driver data to brokers. That is a statement about the company’s position, not an independently established finding in the material provided. The site’s launch comes amid scrutiny of how automakers handle information generated by connected vehicles.
Privacy Choices Come With Feature Costs
Connected vehicles can generate information about where they travel, how they are driven and which features owners use. A clear opt-out process gives drivers a way to limit some data sharing, but the privacy choice is linked to functionality: services that need an internet connection or location information may be reduced or unavailable when those inputs are switched off.
The policy also intersects with automakers’ commercial interest in connected services. The source report notes that Ford CEO Jim Farley has discussed digital subscriptions as a way to increase revenue. If owners disable connectivity, they may have less access to subscription-based features, although the specific financial effect for customers is not detailed in the report. For drivers, the immediate question is what information they are comfortable sharing and which services they are willing to give up.
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Automaker Data Practices Under Scrutiny
Modern cars can collect data through onboard systems and companion apps, including information tied to vehicle location, performance and use. The amount and type of information depends on the model and its connected features. Ford’s new website puts its descriptions of collection and opt-out controls in one place, according to the report; it does not establish that every model offers identical settings.
The announcement follows a high-profile dispute involving General Motors. The report says GM recently reached a $220 million settlement over allegations related to sharing driver data with brokers through its Smart Driver program from 2016 to 2024. Those allegations concern GM, not Ford, and the settlement should not be treated as proof of wrongdoing by Ford. The comparison helps explain why automakers’ data policies and the practical meaning of an opt-out are receiving attention.
“Our ultimate goal is that, for someone who does not want to share any connected data with Ford at all, they can opt out and essentially create a quasi-’80s mode car.”
— Kristin Jones, Ford chief privacy officer, in a statement to Automotive News
Model-by-Model Controls Remain Unspecified
The report does not list every setting available on each Ford model, identify precisely which functions remain usable after specific opt-outs, or explain whether drivers can disable individual data categories separately. It also does not provide details about how long information is retained, which outside parties may receive it, or how the company verifies that an opt-out has taken effect. Those points may depend on the vehicle, app settings and service terms.
Ford’s statement that it does not sell driver data to brokers is attributed to the company in the report; the material does not independently verify that claim or provide the full wording of the website’s data policies. The exact effects of opting out on subscriptions and other paid services are also not specified.
Owners Can Review Their Settings
Ford owners can use the Privacy Promise website to review the company’s explanations and consult the available controls for their vehicle and app. Drivers considering an opt-out should check which navigation, connectivity and location-based functions depend on data sharing before changing settings. The report does not give a deadline for further changes or describe a coming policy update, so additional details may emerge as owners and reviewers examine the site.
Key Questions
What is Ford’s “quasi-’80s mode”?
It is Ford’s description of a less-connected experience for drivers who opt out of sharing connected data with the company. It does not mean every modern vehicle feature will work without connectivity.
What data may Ford collect?
Ford’s site says collection can vary by model and may include location, driving characteristics and diagnostic information, as well as other connected data gathered through a vehicle or the Ford app.
What might stop working if I opt out?
Features that rely on an internet connection or location data may be limited. The report specifically mentions connected navigation, internet connectivity and location features, but does not provide a complete model-by-model list.
Does Ford say it sells driver data to brokers?
The report says Ford made clear it is not in the business of selling driver data to brokers. That is Ford’s stated position; the supplied material does not independently verify it.
Are the opt-out settings the same for every Ford?
That is not clear from the report. Ford says the data it may collect depends on the model, and the article does not detail how controls differ among vehicles.
Source: insideevs.com
