When your iPhone or Android smartphone connects to cars, it leaves a trail of data behind such as your map destinations, garage codes, contacts, phone numbers and even texting history.
A new app Privacy4Cars erases personal data from most connected cars. The app deletes personal data that is keep on infotainment systems.
It is often difficult to find out how to remove information from cars. For example when I bought my car, the home destination of the former user was listed in the mapping program. It also showed recent destinations.
Privacy and cyber expert Andrea Amico created the app that removes data from infotainment systems form rental cars, car sharing programs or even when a vehicle is sold.
“A simple way that vehicle owners and operators can protect their privacy is to be mindful of the data stored in vehicle infotainment systems and properly erase the information- especially if a car is sold, leased, rented, or shared,” said Amico.
Privacy4Cars’ patent-pending process provides customized, visual step-by-step tutorials to help users quickly erase personal information such as phone numbers, call logs, location history and garage door codes from vehicle infotainment systems. App users are able to select from hundreds of vehicle makes, models and years, and new vehicle makes and models are added weekly. During its promotional launch period the Privacy4Cars app will offer ten free vehicle data wipe tutorials upon download. Additional wipe tutorial packages start at $1.99.
The app is helpful for
- Consumers.
- Businesses with a small fleet as a stand-alone app.
- Manufacturers.
- Auto auctions.
- Fleet management companies.
- Car rental or car sharing operators.
- Vehicle subscription services.
- Fleets.
- Auto lenders.
- Auto insurance and dealer groups.
There is an SDK [software development kit] that can be embedded into existing apps.