Connected cars accelerate down data-collection highway

SAN FRANCISCO – As automakers try to evolve into mobility companies, their cars are rapidly morphing into data-collection machines. It’s similar to what smartphones have already become as they suck up valuable personal information about the people using them.

Driving internet-connected cars offers many benefits. It’s how safety features can be upgraded wirelessly and maintenance schedules adjusted based on performance.

But it also could open the door to creepy marketing pitches, privacy invasions and government surveillance. No serious incidents have occurred in the United States, Europe and Japan, but a red flag has already been raised in China, where automakers have been sharing location details of connected cars with the government.