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Ford has announced a “Privacy Promise” and launched a website explaining its vehicle-data practices and how customers can manage data sharing. The announcement came days after General Motors agreed 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 collection on or off.
Ford has announced a “Privacy Promise” and published a website explaining how its vehicles and digital services collect and share customer data, days after General Motors agreed to a $220 million settlement with 36 states over allegations that it sold customer data without drivers’ consent. Ford says customers should be able to control what they share, but its new site does not offer one switch to turn all data collection on or off.
Ford describes the pledge as “an explicit commitment to customers that their vehicle data is safe with us and they’re in control of what they share.” The company’s site outlines its data practices and gives guidance on changing settings across Ford webpages, its app and its vehicles. The report does not provide further detail about the specific data categories covered or a single, centralized control for managing them.
The practical limitation is that owners may need to consult separate instructions and adjust settings in more than one place. According to The Drive’s report, the site does not let customers turn all data sharing or collection on or off with one click. Ford’s pledge is therefore accompanied by information and guidance, rather than a universal privacy control.
GM’s settlement provides the immediate backdrop. The automaker agreed to pay $220 million to 36 states to settle a lawsuit concerning the sale of customer data without consent, according to The Drive. The report says drivers will not receive settlement payments. It does not include the settlement documents or further details of the states’ allegations, so those claims should not be treated as a court finding about every aspect of GM’s data practices.
Privacy Controls for Ford Owners
Connected vehicles and automaker apps can involve data collection and sharing beyond the information drivers provide when buying a car. For owners, the immediate issue is whether they can understand what is collected and make practical choices about sharing it. Ford’s new site may help customers find relevant instructions, but the lack of a single all-in-one setting means privacy management may require several steps.
The timing also puts pressure on automakers to explain their data practices in language customers can use. GM’s multistate settlement has drawn attention to how vehicle information can be handled and whether customers agreed to its sale. Ford’s pledge is a public commitment, but the source report does not describe an independent audit, enforcement mechanism or technical change that would verify the company’s promise. Readers should distinguish the stated pledge from evidence about how it is implemented.
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GM Settlement Sets the Backdrop
The Drive reported Ford’s announcement in its November 2, 2026, roundup of automotive headlines. It said the announcement came days after GM agreed to settle the multistate lawsuit. That sequence explains why Ford’s statement was framed as a response to heightened attention to customer data, although the provided material does not establish that GM’s settlement caused Ford to make the pledge.
The report characterizes the GM matter as a lawsuit over selling customer data without consent and gives the settlement total as $220 million across 36 states. It does not name the states, detail the allegations or specify the terms beyond the payment. Ford’s announcement, meanwhile, is described through the company’s own wording and the contents of its guidance website; the source does not compare the two automakers’ data systems or policies.
““An explicit commitment to customers that their vehicle data is safe with us and they’re in control of what they share.””
— Ford, describing its Privacy Promise
Details Behind Ford’s Pledge
The report does not specify which kinds of vehicle data Ford collects, how long it retains them, which third parties may receive them or whether the pledge changes existing practices. It also does not say whether Ford plans to add a single control for all data sharing. The company’s full policy terms and the scope of customer choices are not detailed in the source material.
For GM, the provided report gives the settlement amount and number of states but not the legal terms, the full allegations or whether GM admitted wrongdoing. It says drivers will not receive settlement money, but does not explain how the payment will be allocated. Those details cannot be confirmed from the material available here.
What Ford Owners Can Check
Ford owners can consult the company’s new website for instructions on data settings in its webpages, app and vehicles. Because the site reportedly lacks a universal on/off control, customers may need to review each relevant service or in-car menu separately. The source does not give a timetable for any additional privacy tools or changes to Ford’s policies.
The next developments to watch are whether Ford publishes more specific information about data collection and sharing, and whether it changes how customers manage those settings. Further details of GM’s settlement may also clarify the allegations and the obligations involved. No additional action or announcement from either company is specified in the report.
Key Questions
What did Ford announce?
Ford announced a Privacy Promise and a website explaining its data practices and how customers can adjust settings across Ford webpages, its app and its vehicles.
Can Ford owners turn off all data sharing in one place?
Not according to The Drive’s report. The website offers guidance, but it does not provide a single control to switch all data sharing or collection on or off.
What was GM’s settlement?
GM agreed to pay $220 million to 36 states to settle a lawsuit over selling customer data without consent, according to the report. It says drivers will not receive settlement payments.
Does Ford’s pledge prove how the company handles data?
No. The pledge states Ford’s commitment, and the site provides information and setting instructions. The source report does not cite an independent audit or other verification of Ford’s practices.
Source: thedrive.com
