Bigwig automakers want to limit vehicular data they share with tech partners

According to reports, some of the bigwig automakers - including Ford, GM and Volkswagen AG subsidiary Audi - have apparently decided that they will restrict the vehicular data which they share with tech partners like Apple and Google.

Apple and Google offer their respective CarPlay and Android Auto platforms, to enable automakers to offer smartphone-compatible vehicles. The CarPlay and Android Auto platforms essentially allow users to plug their mobile devices into a car, see a subset of apps and services more safely displayed on the vehicle's own systems, and conveniently control them both though voice and physical buttons.

Though automakers are aware of the fact that CarPlay and Android Auto platforms give drivers the ability to connect their smartphones to their cars, they are also, at the same time, wary of Apple and Google's evident efforts to creep into vehicle dashboards for collecting data about drivers' activities.

Since cars which are capable of communicating with smartphones and other electronic devices allow automakers to collect data from drivers, the automakers do not want to share all the vehicular data with tech partners Apple and Google.

Asserting that it is necessary for automakers to ensure that they protect their "ability to create value" in the wake of new breed of digital services, Don Butler - Ford Motor's Executive Director of connected vehicle and services - said about the auto industry's resolve to limit the vehicular data they share with their tech partners: "We need to control access to that data."