Ford targeted in GPS tracking dust-up

Ford has come under fire over concerns the company and other auto makers are tracking motorists' movements via GPS data derived from their automobiles, a situation that has pushed one lawmaker to ask Ford to disclose exactly what GPS data it obtains from its cars and what it does with that information.

The situation stems from a GAO report that found auto makers including Ford don't effectively disclose what location data they collect and exactly what they do with that data. It was exacerbated by statements a Ford executive made to Business Insider last week that "We know everyone who breaks the law. We know when you're doing it. We have GPS in your car, so we know what you're doing. By the way, we don't supply that data to anyone."

Ford has since backtracked significantly on those remarks, but Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) this morning sent a letter to Ford CEO Alan Mullaly requesting information on who the company shares GPS data with, how long that data is stored and what security measures are used to protect it. The issue is noteworthy amid revelations of NSA spying as well as wireless carriers' efforts to sell anonymous location data on their subscribers. Article