Study: Connected Cars Share Data With Ad and Analytics Firms

Researchers at Northeastern University and Consumer Reports tested 21 connected vehicles and 30 companion apps between October 2024 and August 2025. 19 of 21 cars sent data to third parties, and more than half contacted advertising, tracking or analytics domains. Tesla Model 3 led with 34 such domains, followed by Cybertruck with 23, Cadillac Lyriq with 10 and Lucid with 9.

• 19 of 21 tested cars shared data with at least one third party
• Tesla Model 3 reached 34 ad and analytics domains, Cybertruck 23
• 7 of 30 companion apps sent VIN, email, phone and precise location
• Nissan Ariya, Range Rover, Mercedes EQS and Buick Envista contacted none