I just took delivery on a new, 6 mile, 2024 Lexus LS500 AWD automobile. I'm sure everyone has anxious excitement to configure the electronics and then getting behind the wheel? This process, which, of course, the dealership tech expert wants to "help" you configure before you leave the lot. As we wandered thru the morass of buttons, functions, center screen windows, and new functionality options; I stopped the "tech genius", as her business card pronounces, when we bumped into the "Lexus Interface Services" and "Connect" apps. These apps and their functionality are an accept all, or NOTHING proposition. As I started to scan these screens, quickly reading and trying to assimilate their meaning, I SAID STOP, and let me finish this work in my garage. WOW! Has anyone else been stunned by the amount of, profoundly personal, and the detailed information the new 3.0 version of the Lexus Connect apps collect on the vehicles' owners, operations, passengers, and users activities performed both inside and outside of the vehicle? Maybe I've been living in a dream world, and deaf, dumb, and blind to the information grabbing reality in which we all live, but this "sign-off" and the Faustian bargain struck me as an enormous price to pay to gain basic car functionality? While sounding initially innocuous and beneficial to the owner/operator, take a look at what information is given to Toyota/Lexus by reviewing the link below. Not only scraping your smart Phone connection and app data, but with the car's cameras, stored pictures [which, per Lexus, are NOT transmitted to Toyota's servers] there is significant information that IS! Under the guise of security, mapping/GPS support, safety/accident notification, road side assistance, and car theft tracking, one yields much to Toyota/Lexus in the form of "free" information about ourselves when we drive and more. This collected data, stored in perpetuity, somewhere, "without warranty or personal recourse to delete or correct", without first permission from Toyota's data gods, and the data is 'protected', on a, trust me basis, by Lexus/Toyota. If you call the Lexus Connect hotline, you will receive an uninformed agent, with a demeaning attitude, which effectively implies that you would be a "fool" if you didn't accept this trade of your personal data for Lexus Connect app functionality? Thank-you!! While I've owned many Lexus LS vehicles and have been substantially pleased with their functionality, reliability, performance, and maintainability; that does NOT mean LEXUS has a divine right to my personal information, without monetary compensation, when operating a car I purchased from LEXUS/TOYOTA. Why doesn't Lexus/Toyota delete our collected info after 72 hours, or upon our next re-entry into the vehicle; on a rolling cycle basis? And then legally confirm this deletion protocol. Yes, I know, a stupid question, it's the money and value of that information!!

NOW read the one page "Warning", I'd like to say ' boarders on threat' from choosing to deny Lexus/Toyota from MY/Your Connect App data.... [as attached].... if you disassociate your identification from Lexus' [web portal] account on YOUR VEHICLE, ALL THE TRACKING DATA FROM THESE CONNECT APPS IS AUTOMATICALLY "TURNED BACK ON". {emphasize added}

https://www.lexus.com/privacyvts

 

I'm not surprised. Cars are the new cell phones when it comes to collecting customer information. Did you see the articles recently about all of GM's auto opt in when you accept their User License Agreement (ULA) that then then sold this user data to insurance companies and those insurance companies denied people getting coverage on their cars because of their driving habits. I'm personally a big fan of LouisRossman on youtube, very helpful in bringing these data privacy rights out to people.

You do know your home Internet Service Provider (ISP) sells your meta data to 3rd parties? Unless you use a VPN service on your router or all your devices they gather everything the legally can. Sure it's only aggregate data. But still. Oh same goes for wireless providers. They capture the metadata too, unless U always on a VPN.

I think in the USA you should have a way to contact the company and ask them to delete/remove any data they've collected on you. But it's not clear how east/hard. I think they just need to have A process.