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AIA study finds right to repair consumer confusion
From left, AIA Canada’s J.F. Champagne, Quorus Consulting Group’s Rick Nadeau and James Channer from In Motion Brands
When asked who they think owns data generated by their vehicles, Canadians couldn’t agree on an answer.
About a third (34 per cent) said they own it; a few less (30 per cent) said vehicle manufacturers own it. One in five (21 per cent) had no idea. That’s all according to a new report from the Automotive Industries Association of Canada, Data Awareness, Ownership & Sharing: Vehicle Owner Attitudes Towards In-Car Data.
AIA Canada hosted a webinar to discuss the report, The Data Dilemma: Who Owns the Data Generated by Your Car?
“There’s quite a bit of confusion around who in fact owns the data with very, very little level of confidence around understanding what data is even produced,” observed Rick Nadeau, lead researcher at Quorus Consulting Group, which conducted the research, during the webinar.
However, Canadians are pretty clear about who they think should own the data: Three-quarters of vehicle owners said it should be them.
For James Channer, co-founder and chief operating officer of In Motion Brands, he wasn’t surprised by the findings.
“Consumers are very slow to act and really increase their level of awareness unless there is push of information and clarity,” he said during the webinar, which was moderated by AIA Canada president J.F. Champagne.
Unfortunately for the aftermarket, that push of information is coming from a different party.
“Today, OE manufacturers and the dealership network have done a better job than us in terms of getting their points and interests across,” Channer said. “That really speaks to why we all collectively, in the aftermarket, have to rally behind the AIA and industry collectively to help consumers better understand the data that’s in their vehicle and for them to take more ownership.”
In an “encouraging” sign for the aftermarket, Nadeau highlighted that 65 per cent of respondents want to better understand who controls the data the vehicle produces.
However, “I would actually draw some attention to that 35 per cent as well, who are not engaged and [wonder] what’s going on in their minds,” Nadeau pointed out. “Why aren’t they in fact concerned about who controls their data?”
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When purchasing or leasing a new vehicle the consumer has to initialize their acknowledgement and understanding of numerous pages of legal content. One of these pieces on content (PRIVACY) allows the manufacture and their affiliates to collect, maintain, use, disclose, combine, and otherwise process your personal information and will share this information between themselves for numerous purposes. Initializing this section will also allow the manufactures to disclose or transfer your personal information to third parties.
One of the purposes for acknowledging the manufacture to accumulate your personal data is to maintain warranty, customer service records, and recall campaigns. If the consumer refuses to acknowledge, they get no warranty and no car.
After the completion of a contract the consumer does have the right to request for withdraw of some content like not allowing the manufacture to use their personal data for marketing research. However the consumer has to take time out of their busy schedule to request for this process to be removed from the contract.
In the signing of these modern contracts the consumer now has to acknowledge the consent to receive electronic communications. The consumer now has agreed the manufacture is basically in control of their personal and vehicle data. There is nothing in the contract YET, that forces the consumer to acknowledge the manufacture owns the vehicle repair data.
There is two types of data the aftermarket are dealing with, #1 vehicle repair data and #2 telematic data.
#1.
As a shop owner or a consumer I deserve the right to be able to receive and use my vehicle repair data to my choice.
#2.
“Telematics is a method of monitoring cars, trucks, equipment and other assets by using GPS technology and on-board diagnostics (OBD) to plot the asset’s movements on a computerized map.”
(https://www.google.com/search/ what is telematic data)
Today vehicles are now linked to GPS via the consumers cell phones.
As a shop owner I do not care about telematic data. It does not help me fix cars. But as a consumer, I don’t think the manufacture should be allowed to build a data bank by zeroing in on individual consumers data. The manufacture should be forced to accumulate their data by the masses. Ex. this type of vehicle performs on average this way, not this consumer drives on average this way. It is nobody business if the consumer of an automobile visits an abortion clinic, frequently visit the LCBO, or if they ride the brakes beyond manufactures recommendations.
Instead of the Aftermarket fighting for the “right to repair” that includes telematic data, consumers should be fighting for the right to have this data not being accumulated at all. At the very least some kind of legislation should be in place to make sure the consumers privacy rights are being protected after the manufacture has forced them to sign off on their privacy.