TermsRating
Companies / Ford

Ford

7 serious, 4 to watch. Found 15 of 23 practices.
Applies to: everyday users.
D

Do they sell or share your data?Yes

As noted above, on some pages of our websites we allow third-party advertising partners to use cookies, web beacons, and other digital technologies to collect or receive information regarding your activities on those web pages (e.g., your IP address, page(s) visited, time of day, and other identifiers). We may also disclose such information we have collected to Advertising and Analytics Companies.
ford.com/help/privacy, lines 221–221
In plain wordsThe company shares information about your browsing habits with advertising and analytics companies to show you targeted ads. These partners may also combine this data with information they have collected from other websites to build a profile about you.

7 of 7 other car companies we rated do this too.

Do they refuse responsibility when things break?Yes

Ford is not responsible for the content of any Site linked to this Site and is not directly or indirectly implying any approval, endorsement or affiliation with any linked Site. YOU AGREE THAT YOUR USE OF THIS SITE SHALL BE AT YOUR SOLE RISK. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, FORD'S OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, PARENTS, AFFILIATES, SHAREHOLDERS, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN CONNECTION WITH THIS SITE AND YOUR USE THEREOF.
ford.com/help/terms, lines 73–74
In plain wordsThis clause means that you use the website entirely at your own risk and the company is not responsible if anything goes wrong. They are also stating that they do not provide any guarantees or promises regarding the website's performance or accuracy.

6 of 6 other car companies we rated do this too.

Do they combine your data across products?Yes

Parties to Corporate Transactions: We may receive personal information as part of a corporate transaction or proceeding such as a merger, financing, acquisition, bankruptcy, dissolution, or at transfer, divestiture, or sale of all or a portion of business or assets. Publicly Available Sources: We may obtain Demographics and other data from publicly available sources, such as open government databases or other data in the public domain, as well as information that is publicly available online on social media, networking, and other sites. We may combine personal information we collect from any of the above sources. Return to top COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES
ford.com/help/privacy, lines 199–203
In plain wordsThe company can merge your information from different sources, such as public records and social media, into a single profile. This means they may build a more complete picture of you by combining data from various places.

3 of 4 other car companies we rated do this too.

Do they use your data to target ads?Yes

Cookies on our websites are used to store your preferences and settings, help authenticate your Ford account and enable you to sign in, provide interest-based advertising, combat fraud, analyze how our Products perform, personalize your experience and the content you see on our website (such as by displaying vehicles you have previously viewed or searched for or by conveniently auto-filling data fields in online forms), and fulfill other legitimate purposes.
ford.com/help/privacy, lines 205–205
In plain wordsThe company uses your browsing activity and preferences to show you personalized advertisements.

7 of 7 other car companies we rated do this too.

Do they track you across sites, apps or places?Yes

Device Details and Network Information: Some devices reveal, and our servers log, information such as type of device, hardware model, MAC Address, operating system, version, settings, configuration, and network-related information (for example, IP address, mobile network provider, etc.). We may also collect device motion information if you enable that functionality in our mobile apps. As described more in the Cookies and Similar Technologies section below, our websites and online Products store and retrieve device identifiers (such as browser and other unique online identifiers) using cookies, pixel tags, and other digital technologies set on your device.
ford.com/help/privacy, lines 178–178
In plain wordsThe company tracks your location via your IP address and monitors your activity across the web using cookies and digital tags. They also collect specific details about your hardware, network, and even your physical movement if you allow it.

7 of 7 other car companies we rated do this too.

Can they hand your data to authorities without telling you?Yes

We have also disclosed, or may disclose, each category of Personal Information described above in other circumstances when required to or permitted by law.
ford.com/help/privacy, lines 728–734
In plain wordsThe company may share your information with law enforcement or government agencies whenever the law allows them to do so, and they do not promise to notify you when this happens.

7 of 7 other car companies we rated do this too.

Do you pay their legal bills?Yes

By using this Site you agree that you will defend, indemnify and hold harmless Ford and its subsidiaries and affiliates, their respective distributors, dealers, dealer associations and advertising and promotions agencies, together with their respective employees, agents, directors, officers and shareholders, from and against all the liabilities, claims, damages and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and costs) arising out of your use of this Site, your breach or alleged breach of these Terms and Conditions, and/or your breach or alleged violation of the patent, copyright, trademark, proprietary or other rights of third parties.
ford.com/help/terms, lines 54–54
In plain wordsIf you cause a legal problem or break the rules, you must pay for Ford's lawyers and any damages they are ordered to pay. You are responsible for covering their costs if they get sued because of your actions.

7 of 7 other car companies we rated do this too.

Do they use what you post to train AI?Partly

In addition, when we process data we collect for the purposes described in this California Notice, we may use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other automated decision-making technologies to support the processing, in accordance with applicable law. Further, we may Deidentify your Personal Information and disclose this Deidentified information to others as permitted by applicable law. Where we Deidentify information or use Deidentified information, we will use the data only in Deidentified form and will not attempt to reidentify that information.
ford.com/help/privacy, lines 704–715
In plain wordsThe company may use your information to power automated technologies like artificial intelligence. While they mention de-identifying data, the clause still permits the use of your data for these automated processes.

3 of 4 other car companies we rated do this too.

Can your data go to a buyer if the company is sold?Partly

These circumstances include: to businesses we partner with to provide Products requested by you; to outside parties when disclosures are required or permitted by law to defend against legal claims; to law enforcement agencies, courts, regulatory agencies and others when the disclosure is required or permitted by law, including to comply with valid legal process; and to parties with whom we are involved in a corporate transaction or proceeding such as a merger, financing, acquisition, bankruptcy, dissolution, or at transfer, divestiture, or sale of all or a portion of our business or assets. Return to top of California Notice Selling and Sharing of Personal Information
ford.com/help/privacy, lines 728–734
In plain wordsIf the company is sold, merges with another business, or goes through bankruptcy, your personal information may be transferred to the new owners or the parties involved in the deal.

6 of 7 other car companies we rated do this too.

Do they keep your data after you leave?Partly

For controls related to connected vehicles, please see the Connected Vehicle Privacy section. Additional details and instructions may be available in your vehicle owner’s manual. Choices for Cookies and Similar Technologies See the Cookies and Similar Technologies section for choices about cookies and other analytics and advertising controls. Return to top RETENTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION We retain personal information for as long as necessary to provide the products and fulfill the transactions you have requested, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, and other legitimate and lawful business purposes.
ford.com/help/privacy, lines 292–297
In plain wordsThe company may keep your information for as long as they deem necessary for their own business purposes or legal obligations. This means your data might not be deleted immediately even after you stop using their services.

3 of 5 other car companies we rated do this too.

Can they cut you off any time?Partly

You agree not to interrupt or attempt to interrupt the operation of the Site in any way. You agree not to dispute Ford's claims of ownership or validity of its rights in the materials on this Site. Ford authorizes you to view and download the materials at this Site only for your personal, non-commercial use. Ford may suspend or terminate this authorization at any time for any reason. This authorization is not a transfer of title in the materials and copies of the materials and is subject to the following restrictions:
ford.com/help/terms, lines 32–33
In plain wordsFord can stop your access to the website and its content whenever they want, even if you haven't done anything wrong. This means you have no guaranteed right to use their site or download their materials.

2 of 6 other car companies we rated do this too.

Checked, nothing hostile

  • Does not claim wide rights over what you post or upload.
  • Does not say it reads your private messages.
  • Lets you delete your account or data.
  • Does not keep its rights to your content once you delete it or leave.

Not covered by these documents

The documents we read do not mention these practices, which usually live in a document we haven’t read yet:

  • Do you give up the right to sue?
  • Can they change the deal without asking?
  • Do they lock you in for a year or more?
  • Can your name or photo appear in ads?
  • Are they off the hook if your data leaks?
  • Does your subscription renew by itself?
  • Must disputes be settled in their chosen court?
  • Do they own your ideas and feedback?