Data & Privacy: Putting Customers in Control

Kristin Jones, Ford’s Chief Privacy Officer, joined Ford last year. Here, she discusses her career path, her views on privacy in automotive, and how Ford customers can control and customize which vehicle data they choose to share with Ford.

Can you talk a little bit about what your job is like day-to-day?

I'm the Chief Privacy Officer and here at Ford, that includes responsibility over legal privacy matters. I’m also responsible for standing up and leading privacy operations, which are the processes in place to support our compliance with the law and our values.

I help advise our operations teams on key strategic decisions we need to make. I also look at potential legal risk and figure out ways we can maximize clarity around privacy and data for both our company and our customers.

How did you get interested in this type of work?

This isn't really the kind of thing you say you want to be when you're in third grade. But my career evolved in this direction, and I embraced it. I came out of law school, and I started my career in more traditional litigation, but I quickly learned that was not for me.

So I started raising my hand for a series of opportunities to learn and try something different, which led me into working in healthcare.

I was pretty good at analyzing issues related to medical patients and privacy. To me, privacy felt like one of the most important ways to have an effective relationship with your healthcare provider. So I tailored my career more toward that space.

How long have you been at Ford and why did you feel like Ford was a great fit for you?

I've been at Ford for about 10 months. I had a really good kind of culture match with the people that I interviewed with, plus I really love the brand. I learned to drive on a Ford and my parents drove Fords. I have a 1956 Thunderbird, a 2000 SVT Lightning, 2025 F-150 Lightning and 2025 Lincoln Navigator in my garage. I am a big, big Ford fan and just a big fan of vehicles, too.

So you've combined your own expertise and your passion for vehicles. Now that you’re settled in, how would you describe Ford's values around privacy overall?

Ford really values the trust that customers place in it. It's an aspect of the ownership experience that I don't think the automotive industry had really contemplated until fairly recently, when vehicles began to leverage data to provide new services. We have a huge responsibility to safeguard this evolution in a way that adds value.

How is Ford different from other automakers when it comes to privacy?

Ford views its responsibilities around protecting user privacy as something that's central to the relationship we have with customers. We’re focused on how we can protect the consumer while delivering the features they want and what we can do to advance and enhance that trust.

Is privacy something that Ford bakes in from the engineering stage onward? Or is it something we layer in after the vehicle's been developed?

It's both. There is a pretty long life cycle from the first sketch of a vehicle to a production model. There's a lot of evolution that happens through the development process, but I think we've gotten to a point where we are thinking about privacy at the top and then finding a way- for both our existing vehicle owners and those we haven’t met yet.

We're not perfect. There's always going to be scenarios where there are opportunities to improve, but we do a good job in the connected vehicle space of making sure that privacy is really contemplated at the beginning of that build process.

How would you say vehicle privacy is different from phone privacy, which customers have had this really long relationship with?

The way a consumer uses a vehicle is certainly different from the way a consumer uses a phone. You can just turn off your phone or leave it at home, but it’s a much harder thing to do than just leaving your vehicle at home. We take this responsibility very seriously. We have to have this deep awareness and respect for customers’ preferences, because in so many cases we’re going wherever they do.

But also as automakers, we know a lot less about you than your phone does. There's a lot of focus around the ability of a vehicle to track your location-but your phone is doing that plus getting your texts, your emails, and your calls. Even though the data we collect is simpler than a phone, we are very cautious about how we use it. It’s got to be in the right way and with the right consents in place.

Does Ford have, for example, a big secret file on you? Is there some person who has a big file all about how Kristin Jones drives? Or is the data anonymous?

No, we do not keep one big file on you. We collect information to make sure your vehicle works or we can identify safety issues early- things like that.

When you think of the collection of data and creating a profile on someone, you’re thinking about selling that data to advertise to that person or influence their behavior.

But that’s not what we do- we actually don’t sell connected vehicle data, period. Our data collection is used primarily to ensure vehicle performance quality, offer products and services you request, and ensure safety. We want to make sure your vehicle is functioning the way you want it to and that your technician has good diagnostic info when they check your vehicle.

OK, so nobody's spying on you if you sneak your truck out to the track on a Saturday.

I definitely have fun when I drive my Lightning SVT and I would expect future vehicles that I have to be the same, no matter how connected they are. And that’s my right as a Ford owner, to enjoy my vehicle in the way I see fit. It’s also my right to “go dumb”- every Ford vehicle we make today is capable of being completely disconnected.

What are some advantages customers get from sharing connected vehicle data and how do they know if their vehicle is doing it?

A connected vehicle is vital to having a great ownership experience.

We’ve already talked about diagnostics and maintenance being a priority for us- we can even fix some recalls that way. And over-the-air software updates can load new features into your vehicle over time to make them cooler- for example, a Mustang Mach-E owner might receive an updated version of BlueCruise without ever visiting a dealer.

We’re introducing new ways vehicle connectivity is beneficial all the time - our Ford Security Package is a great example of this. When your vehicle is stolen, this service allows you to connect the police with us so that we can pinpoint your vehicle’s exact location and get it back for you. It also allows you to make your vehicle un-startable, even with a key. But we balance those features with privacy protection. We don’t, for example, share your vehicles location or share any of your vehicle's data until you have filed a police report and asked us to engage with law enforcement.

Why do you think it's important for a customer to understand what information they're sharing? Don’t some insurers track your driving?

It’s part of being an educated consumer in the modern era. It’s a terrible feeling to find your data out in the world being used in ways you don’t expect, are too personal or could harm you. A good example of this is people who don’t realize that they are sharing driving data with their vehicle insurance company through an app on their phone. Maybe they’re leadfooted and their rates go up unexpectedly

Ford itself does not give your driving data to your insurance company, ever. But all kinds of apps can indirectly feed your info to insurers so it’s really important to read those terms of service. Of course, many people choose to voluntarily connect their driving behavior via an insurance app. My dad does it and you can see things like his average highway speed and whether he’s braking hard. But if you’re doing that in a Ford, it’s happening through your phone only.

If a customer wants to get really granular on what they are sharing or not sharing with Ford, how do they do that?

We’ve developed an icon system that allows you to see exactly what you’re sharing on your in-vehicle screen, which you can see in our later-model vehicles.

Choosing to share vehicle data isn’t a one and done situation. For example, SYNC customers can adjust your vehicle sharing settings on your vehicle screen anytime you like. And there are additional choices in “Account/ Settings” in the FordPass app depending on available services.

Do you think technology is moving faster than privacy law can keep up with?

No, I don't. Privacy laws are designed to adapt to changing technology. Laws require us to implement processes that look for privacy issues and to create transparency about our privacy practices. And those laws are intentionally written for all kinds of tech futures we may live in. You can see these laws evolving right now in step with all the possibilities opened up by AI.

Do you think you pay more attention to privacy in your regular life than the average person?

For me personally, I'm actually pretty comfortable sharing my information because 99% of the time my data is being collected to benefit me or to sell me something useful. People might be surprised that a privacy lawyer has a smart home device but it’s very great! 100% worth it to me. And our doorbell cameras helps our whole family know what’s going on.

If you only had a minute to explain vehicle privacy at Ford to our customers, what would you want to say?

At the end of the day, Ford’s intention with connected vehicles is to deliver cool technology. We collect data to improve our products, and we don’t focus on what an individual does in their vehicle. We also don’t sell your data to data brokers. Ford's purpose is to build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams- and connected vehicles help fulfill that purpose, not get in its way.

Data & Privacy: Putting Customers in Control - A Q&A With Kristin Jones