Data storage and confidentiality

[TonyFR]

The Driving Analytics section of the MyT app is showing me all the trips I have done, complete with maps.

Q1 - Does Toyota collect and store this data, or is it only phone-based?

Q2 - As the data is presumably stored on my phone, can it be edited/erased? For example, "remove all data older than xxx". (I can erase it all for sure if I remove the app completely. But then I'd have to start again...)

There is an obvious confidentiality and security issue here.

I know Toyota's T&C are in the app for us all to read, but maybe a Forum member has done all the homework and can share an informed view.

[philip42h]

Which country are you in Tony?

[philip42h]

... and to answer Q1 - the data is collected and stored on Toyota's servers / "the cloud" and we can access it via the My Toyota web site ...

[Catlover]

I think Tony mentioned in a previous post he is in France.

[Roy124]

Selected anonomised journeys are shown on the Toyota online ad for prospective buyers to see real data the might be similar to their own. 

I also get a monthly summary from Google too.  

I can be quite useful when you put your car in for Servicing or Valet Parking. 

[ernieb]

Q1, yes it's stored by Toyota

Q2, my understanding is that very little data is stored on the phone, it's all accessed via the Toyota Cloud.  So when you access a trip it's downloaded from the cloud for you to view. Summary trip data can be downloaded and filtered for the week/month etc.

When you sign up for the MyT app you agree to the terms and conditions.

[ernieb]

Just logged into my MyToyota web site and found this, I'll need to go through it all but you can access the T&C's from there, it also sets out your rights to have the data deleted.

Update: It's worth reading it clearly sets out who uses and can request access to the data, including where they are required by law enforcement or courts.

[flash22]

No data is stored on your phone the car connects to Toyota via the DCM, the app get its information from Toyota's server

With the correct software someone can tell what the car is doing even if someone is not wearing their seatbelt, technically you could start or shutdown a car remotely

[TonyFR]

Thanks to all for information.

I do not want to have my trip data stored by Toyota. I now need to find out how to stop it being collected.

[philip42h]

12 minutes ago, TonyFR said:

Thanks to all for information.

I do not want to have my trip data stored by Toyota. I now need to find out how to stop it being collected.

Simple - delete your My Toyota account and then it won't be collected ...

[Cyker]

Won't it tho'? When I made an enquiry, all I could get out of them is that the data is not personally identifiable unless it is linked to a MyT account, but to me that sounds like the data is still being uploaded and stored, just not accessible by me. I suspect that, for instance, if I became some sort of arch criminal (the Yarisurgler??) the Police would be able to obtain all this data from Toyota, but without some expensive cell-snooping equipment I don't know how I could verify this.

I haven't been able to get a straight answer yet, and as I am not connected to MyT they say they can't provide me any information under GDPR.

The problem is similar to social media like Facebook - I know Facebook has a crapload of information on me they've gleaned from my Facebook-using friends, and I know people who have signed up to Facebook and been creeped out by how much it already knows about them, again from their friends. But I have no easy way of knowing what they have on me as I don't have a Facebook account, even tho' a lot of that is probably in violation of GDPR as they don't have my permission to have it.

 

[philip42h]

Yes ... I guess that I was really trying to find out from Tony (or anyone else) what they do and do not want stored?

Following on from Ernie's earlier post, you may well be able to "get what you want" by enabling Privacy mode:

I can't see Toyota wanting to store data for the sake of it and imagine it would be simply binned if there was no account to associate it with. But I can see some of you [master criminals] wanting greater certainty ... 😉

[ernieb]

If you want the emergency call system to operate then you must let Toyota track your data else they’d not know your location?

[philip42h]

3 minutes ago, ernieb said:

If you want the emergency call system to operate then you must let Toyota track your data else they’d not know your location?

But that's not quite the same thing Ernie ... the eCall system is only invoked if you 'crash' or you press the button. And under those circumstances it seems reasonable and desirable for the car to connect you to the operator and send your current location. I imagine even the most 'private' person would want that ...

And that's not quite the same thing as having every movement of your car tracked and recorded.

Personally, I don't care - it amuses me to have My Toyota able to 'replay' all of my car's journeys, and to have Google know exactly where my 'phone has been. I certainly don't feel threatened by it, and the only person who has legitimate access to that data is me. Others may feel less secure ...

[ernieb]

@philip42h, interesting, I’d thought that Toyota had to record the location continuously so that in the event of an accident it would fire off automatically and the same if you press the button. I’d hardly think they would be trying to get you to agree to the T&Cs in those circumstances. Needs more investigation but as for me, I’m happy to record my travels and give me access to the records for my own edification.

[philip42h]

A reasonable description of eCall here: eCall 112-based emergency assistance from your vehicle - a mandatory safety feature of every new car sold in the EU since 31 March 2018 ... (we are 'still in the EU' from an eCall perspective)

[ernieb]

@philip42h, thanks, that clears that up.

[Cyker]

Yeah it's all a bit vague - Originally I thought the whole system was dormant unless you pressed the SOS button or were in a severe accident, but as my brother pointed out it can take minutes to get a GPS lock which is no use in an emergency, so it's more likely it is active all the time.

Also, if that is linked to the MyT stuff, how can Toyota remotely enable it if it was off? There are certainly no user settings to allow us to turn that stuff on or off as far as I know...

That's why I now think it's on all the time as I don't see how the system could work as advertised otherwise...

 

[ernieb]

@Cyker, that makes sense, maybe active but not logging the trip data for upload but active for the purposes of an emergency.

[philip42h]

Exactly - the car knows where it is at any given time, but only reports its position etc. in an emergency ...

[Cyker]

I would feel happier if that was the case - Just wish I could get Toyota to confirm it more clearly!

 

[philip42h]

1 minute ago, Cyker said:

I would feel happier if that was the case - Just wish I could get Toyota to confirm it more clearly!

 

I agree that more transparency about exactly what's going on would be very welcome. However, in this case, it is an EU standard system that places a call to 112 and reports the car's position. The eCall connection has nothing whatsoever to do with data on any Toyota system - it's simply a link between the car and the emergency services ...

[Cyker]

According to Toyota it also separately supplies the telemetry data that eventually ends up in MyT, at least that's what I understood from their e-mail... It's all part of the DCM (Data communications module) apparently...?!

[TonyFR]

As I don't want to share my daily journeys with Toyota (despite their assurances re GDPR), I think I will have to delete my My Toyota account. Their dire warning is I will lose some functions (unspecified) in the MyT app. I want to keep the app of course as it gives some neat functionality with the car, eg charging time setup, Battery information etc.

Would I be right in assuming that those functions remain even without the My Toyota account?

[philip42h]

8 minutes ago, TonyFR said:

As I don't want to share my daily journeys with Toyota (despite their assurances re GDPR), I think I will have to delete my My Toyota account. Their dire warning is I will lose some functions (unspecified) in the MyT app. I want to keep the app of course as it gives some neat functionality with the car, eg charging time setup, battery information etc.

Would I be right in assuming that those functions remain even without the My Toyota account?

I think that would be a false assumption - the app is linked to the car registered in your My Toyota account. If you delete your account, you loose it all ...

You may well want to try Privacy mode as your next step ...

... oh, and do let us know how that works out - what you keep and what you lose. 😉