Starlink

Starlink is a connectivity service equipped on most modern Subaru vehicles. Publicly available information states Subaru may use Starlink to collect vehicle occupant name, address, VIN, vehicle telemetry, speed and location information, and audio recordings from inside the onboard microphone. Newest Subaru vehicles with driver attention monitoring programs may also collect biometric data.

In addition to the data being collected and available to Subaru, research suggests Subaru sells this data to data brokers, including LexisNexis. LexisNexis purchases data packages with data tied to driver identity, which they then sell to insurance companies, who may use the data to modify consumer rates.

The process to opt-out of data sharing is difficult to locate online and requires a vehicle owner to submit a variety of personal information. Followup from Subaru on opt-out submissions also takes months, after which a consumer has a hard time knowing for certain if data collection is continuing or not, as the vehicle continues to be capable of resuming collection at any time.

Sources:

https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/subaru/

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/technology/carmakers-driver-tracking-insurance.html

https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/forced-lack-of-privacy-with-starlink-and-constant-tracking-of-your-car-with-no-opt-out.569216/

https://www.subaru.com/support/terms-and-conditions/subaru-starlink/subaru-starlink-services.html

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/subaru-now-involved-vehicle-data-collection-lawsuit-investigation

https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/privacy-not-included-subaru-report-connected-services-etc.556583/