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Ford launched a Privacy Promise website explaining what connected vehicle data it may collect and how drivers can turn sharing off. Ford says opting out can create a “quasi-’80s mode,” but drivers may lose connected features such as live traffic and app-based location services.
Ford has launched a Privacy Promise website explaining what connected vehicle data it collects and how owners can opt out, offering what the company calls a “quasi-’80s mode” for drivers who want to disconnect. The choice comes with a functional trade-off: disabling connected services can remove features that depend on internet access or location data, including live traffic information and some Ford app functions.
The site describes categories of information Ford may collect, depending on the vehicle, including location data, driving characteristics and diagnostic information. It also covers data gathered through connected vehicles and Ford’s smartphone app, and explains how drivers can manage or turn off sharing. The source report does not provide a model-by-model inventory of the information collected.
Ford Chief Privacy Officer Kristin Jones told Automotive News that the aim is to let drivers who do not want to share connected data opt out and retain an older-style experience. That is not a claim that every car function will continue unchanged: services that rely on connectivity or location may no longer work when those capabilities are switched off.
Ford says the information can help it understand vehicle use and shape features around owners’ preferences. The company’s position, as reported by InsideEVs, is that it does not sell driver data to brokers. That statement is attributable to Ford and should not be read as an independent audit of its data practices.
The Cost of Disconnecting
For drivers, the site makes privacy settings more visible while laying out a practical compromise: less data sharing may mean fewer connected services. A driver who relies on live traffic, remote app functions or other internet-connected features may have to weigh those conveniences against limiting the vehicle’s data flows.
The choice also matters as automakers develop digital services and subscription revenue. The source report notes Ford CEO Jim Farley has discussed digital subscriptions as a revenue opportunity. If a vehicle is used without connectivity, some digital services may be unavailable, though the source does not specify which subscriptions would be affected or whether opting out changes subscription eligibility.
Transparency can help owners make informed decisions, but a privacy webpage alone does not establish how much data is collected in practice, how long it is retained, or how effectively all sharing can be stopped. Those details matter to consumers deciding whether the privacy controls match their expectations.
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A Wider Debate Over Driver Data
Connected vehicles can generate information about where they travel, how they are driven and whether systems need maintenance. The Ford site is intended to explain the company’s handling of such information and give owners a way to adjust sharing. The available source describes the initiative but does not reproduce the full website’s terms or controls.
The announcement follows a recent $220 million settlement involving General Motors, according to InsideEVs. GM had been accused of sharing driver information with data brokers through its Smart Driver program from 2016 through 2024. The settlement is a separate matter; it does not establish wrongdoing by Ford. Ford’s stated distinction is that it is not in the business of selling driver data to brokers.
The broader issue is how automakers balance connected features, data use and consumer choice. Ford’s announcement provides a stated opt-out path, while the usefulness of that choice depends on which services a driver disables and how the controls operate on a particular model.
“Our ultimate goal is that, for someone who does not want to share any connected data with Ford at all, they can opt out and essentially create a quasi-’80s mode car.”
— Kristin Jones, Ford chief privacy officer, speaking to Automotive News
Limits of the Opt-Out
The source report does not establish which data categories can be disabled on each Ford model, whether some information continues to be collected for vehicle operation or safety, or how long collected data is retained. It also does not say whether opting out affects all Ford app functions or only those that depend on connected services.
Ford’s stated position that it does not sell driver data to brokers is a company claim reported by InsideEVs; the supplied material does not include independent verification or the full terms of the Privacy Promise. The precise controls available, and their effects on individual vehicles, remain unclear from the source material.
Owners Can Review Their Settings
Ford owners can consult the Privacy Promise website to review the information Ford says it collects and the available data-sharing controls. Before disabling connected functions, drivers may want to check how the changes affect navigation, app features and services on their specific vehicle.
The source provides no schedule for further changes to the site or additional privacy tools. Whether Ford will publish more model-specific details, clarify retention practices or explain the effect of opting out on digital subscriptions is not stated.
Key Questions
What is Ford’s “quasi-’80s mode”?
It is Ford Chief Privacy Officer Kristin Jones’s description of an experience for drivers who opt out of connected data sharing. It does not mean all vehicle functions remain unchanged; some connected services may be lost.
What data does Ford say it may collect?
Depending on the model, Ford’s site describes categories including location, driving characteristics and diagnostic information, gathered through the vehicle and Ford’s smartphone app.
What could drivers lose by turning off connected services?
The source says disabling connectivity, connected navigation or location features in the Ford app can reduce functionality. Live traffic and some app features are examples of services that depend on connected data.
Does Ford say it sells driver data to brokers?
No. The source report says Ford stated it is not in the business of selling driver data to brokers. That is Ford’s position, not an independent assessment of all its data practices.
Does opting out affect Ford subscriptions?
The source raises the possibility that less-connected vehicles could limit digital subscription revenue, but it does not identify specific subscriptions affected or say that opting out automatically changes subscription access.
Source: insideevs.com
