Ford launched its Privacy Promise and an explanatory website on November 2, 2026, alongside a pledge never to sell data about how customers drive to data brokers. For US owners, the useful next step is to review the vehicle's data controls and the connected features that depend on them.
The announcement by Ford's chief privacy officer and The Verge's originating coverage share that date. The website is new; the no-broker-sale position has a longer history.
A clearer presentation of an existing position
In a December 21, 2023 letter to Senator Edward Markey, Ford already said it did not sell connected-vehicle data to brokers. The November announcement should therefore be read as a public commitment and a new explanatory resource, rather than evidence that such sales stopped this week.
Ford's privacy site presents controls as choices connected to the services an owner wants. That is more useful than interpreting a no-sale pledge as a promise that no data leaves the car.
Collection and disclosure still need their own questions
The current US Privacy Notice describes categories including vehicle diagnostics, driving data and location, with collection depending on equipment, software, settings and services. It also describes disclosures involving service providers, business partners and legal requirements.
The notice states that location can be collected in limited situations regardless of location settings, including valid legal process or urgent safety circumstances. The pledge about selling driving behavior does not remove the need to understand these other uses and exceptions.
This is a description of Ford's published commitments and notices, not an independent audit of its systems. Our coverage of GM's driver-data consent settlement explains why enrollment and consent deserve attention; it is not evidence about Ford's conduct.
Three checks for an existing owner
First, find the notice for your country and the controls for your particular vehicle. The US notice explicitly directs people elsewhere to their local notice. Ford's announcement says further privacy resources for other markets will follow; that is not a confirmation that every resource is already available.
Second, weigh each setting against the feature it supports. Ford says choosing not to share connected-vehicle data can make BlueCruise, internet connectivity and vehicle location in the app unusable. Avoid assuming that a single menu path or consequence applies to every model.
Third, use the notice's request channels if you want a copy or deletion of personal data. Changing a sharing setting should not be taken as confirmation that earlier records have been erased. Review other drivers' use of the car and non-Ford apps separately: a manufacturer's pledge does not describe every application's data practices.
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