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Ford announced a “Privacy Promise” and published a website describing its data practices and how customers can deactivate different types of data collection and sharing. The announcement followed General Motors’ agreement to pay $220 million to 36 states to settle a lawsuit over selling customer data without consent. Ford’s site does not provide a single control to switch all data sharing on or off.
Ford has announced a “Privacy Promise” and published a website explaining how customers can manage vehicle data collection and sharing, days after General Motors agreed to a $220 million settlement with 36 states over allegations that it sold customer data without consent. Ford says the commitment puts customers in control of what they share, but its website does not offer a single switch to turn all data collection and sharing on or off.
Ford describes the promise as “an explicit commitment to customers that their vehicle data is safe with us and they’re in control of what they share.” The new website outlines company data practices and offers instructions for deactivating different kinds of collection or sharing through Ford’s websites, its app and its vehicles. The announcement is Ford’s response to a growing focus on how connected cars collect and use information, though the source report does not provide further details about the promise’s terms.
The site is guidance, not a single centralized privacy control. Ford owners may have to follow separate instructions for different services and settings, rather than change all permissions at once. The source report does not specify which data categories are covered, how the controls vary by model or service, or whether Ford will change its practices as part of the announcement.
GM’s settlement, reported as the immediate backdrop, was an agreement to pay $220 million to 36 states to resolve a lawsuit concerning the sale of customers’ data without consent. The report says drivers will not receive settlement payments. That description concerns the reported settlement and should not be read as a broader finding about all automakers or data practices.
Privacy Controls for Connected-Car Owners
Connected vehicles and their companion apps can involve multiple data collection and sharing settings. Ford’s site may help owners understand where those settings are and how to deactivate them, but the lack of a single all-in-one control means customers may need to review multiple interfaces. That practical difference matters to drivers who want to limit how their vehicle-related information is handled.
The timing also puts Ford’s public commitment alongside scrutiny of GM’s data practices. GM’s agreement with state authorities shows how vehicle data handling can become a legal and consumer issue; Ford’s announcement is a company pledge and set of instructions, not evidence by itself that an independent authority has reviewed or verified its practices. Customers will need clear information about what is collected, who receives it and how settings work to judge the scope of the promise.
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GM Settlement Sets the Immediate Backdrop
The Drive reported Ford’s announcement on Monday, November 2, 2026, describing it as coming days after GM agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by 36 states. The report says the settlement totals $220 million and relates to selling customer data without consent. It also states that drivers will not receive direct payments from the settlement.
Ford’s response, as described in the report, centers on a named commitment and a new information site. No additional measures—such as a change to vehicle software, revised data-sharing defaults or a single privacy dashboard—are identified in the source material. The distinction between publishing guidance and changing data practices is relevant when evaluating what Ford has announced.
““An explicit commitment to customers that their vehicle data is safe with us and they’re in control of what they share.””
— Ford, as quoted in the report
Scope of Ford’s Promise Remains Unspecified
The source report does not list the specific data Ford collects, the parties with whom it may be shared, or which categories customers can deactivate. It also does not explain whether turning off a setting stops collection, limits sharing, or affects a particular service. The full scope and practical effect of the controls are unclear from the information provided.
It is also not clear whether Ford’s promise changes company policy or existing vehicle and app settings, or whether it mainly gathers information and instructions in one website. No independent assessment, regulatory finding about Ford, or further enforcement action is cited in the report. The $220 million figure is the reported amount of GM’s multistate settlement, not a payment to Ford customers or a measure of Ford’s data practices.
Owners Can Review Ford’s Guidance
Ford owners can consult the new website for instructions on managing data collection and sharing through the company’s webpages, app and vehicles. Because the site does not provide one control for all settings, customers may need to review each relevant service and vehicle interface. The report does not give a deadline for further changes or describe a planned follow-up announcement.
Further detail from Ford about covered data types, recipients, defaults and the effect of opting out would help customers assess the promise. Until such information is available in the cited material, the confirmed development is Ford’s public commitment and its guidance site; broader changes to its data practices remain unreported.
Key Questions
What did Ford announce?
Ford announced a “Privacy Promise” and launched a website describing its data practices and how customers can deactivate different kinds of data collection or sharing.
Can Ford owners switch off all data sharing in one place?
No single all-in-one control is described. The report says owners may need to use separate instructions for Ford’s websites, app and vehicles.
What was GM’s settlement about?
GM agreed to pay $220 million to 36 states to settle a lawsuit over selling customer data without consent, according to the source report. The report says drivers will not receive settlement payments.
Does Ford’s announcement confirm that its data practices have changed?
The report confirms Ford’s pledge and website, but does not establish that the company changed its data practices, settings or collection defaults. Those details are not specified in the source material.
Source: thedrive.com
