Study finds all 21 tested cars contacted outside domains

Every vehicle in a 21-car study transmitted data to at least one outside domain over Wi-Fi, researchers from Northeastern University and Consumer Reports found. More than half contacted advertising, tracking or analytics domains. The team monitored traffic from late-model vehicles sold in the US and tested 30 companion apps. Seven apps sent details including vehicle identification numbers, phone numbers or precise locations to advertising networks. The researchers could identify where encrypted vehicle traffic went but could not read its contents, so the car traffic alone does not establish which personal details were transmitted. After receiving the findings, Honda asked its analytics provider to delete collected location data and changed its HondaLink app to stop sending geolocation.