Ford Unveils Privacy Promise for Connected Vehicles
The automaker outlines how it collects, uses and lets owners control driving and location data from its connected cars.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Car Maintenance
Live Poll
Do you trust car companies to protect the driving data they collect from you?
Ford has unveiled a Privacy Promise describing how it collects, uses and lets owners control data from its connected vehicles. Opting out of data sharing can disable features such as BlueCruise, internet connectivity and vehicle location services.
Why it matters
Connected vehicles gather diagnostics, driving characteristics and location data, and many owners do not fully understand what their cars collect. Ford's move puts privacy controls and their trade-offs directly in front of drivers.
Ford's survey of over 1,000 consumers found 91% rate data privacy as a key factor in vehicle choice, while industry polling shows only 14% fully understand what their car collects. Privacy controls are available on Ford vehicles built in 2018 or later.
The players
Ford Motor Company
Ford is a major American automaker that sells connected vehicles worldwide and has introduced BlueCruise driver-assistance technology.
The details
Ford says it anonymizes or groups data to reduce exposure of personal information and uses it to power embedded navigation, real-time traffic updates and Roadside Assistance. Owners can adjust what they share through the vehicle's center display or the Ford app, and Ford says it will never sell driving data to brokers or insurers.
Timeline
- 2026-11-02
Ford publishes its Privacy Promise coverage
Coming weeks: Privacy resources roll out for Lincoln owners and those in Mexico and Canada
Seasonal Patterns
Ford's Privacy Promise follows the rise of connected-car features like BlueCruise, which depend on continuous vehicle data. The move signals that data-sharing trade-offs are becoming a standard part of new vehicle ownership.
Drivers of Ford vehicles built in 2018 or later can review and change privacy settings from the vehicle screen or the Ford app at any time. Turning off data sharing may disable real-time navigation and built-in roadside assistance.
The takeaway
Review your Ford's privacy settings before you buy or if you want to limit data sharing, knowing that some navigation and roadside features may stop working when you opt out.
Further reading
Explore more on Car Maintenance to see how connected systems affect routine vehicle care.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Digital Trends.
Live Poll
Do you trust car companies to protect the driving data they collect from you?
