Used Cars Leak Lifetime Location Data

Salvaged telematic control units (TCUs) can contain unencrypted, non‑volatile GNSS logs and system files that record a vehicle’s entire journey from factory to scrapyard. Anyone with physical access to the module (salvage yards, resellers, or attackers) can extract sensitive location history and configuration data without manufacturer cooperation. — This reveals a persistent privacy and security gap spanning auto manufacturing, the secondary hardware market, and cross‑border salvage chains, implying a need for standards on data wiping, hardware design, and end‑of‑life handling.