Today, just about every vehicle on the market comes standard with a vehicle company’s own infotainment system, with an option to switch to Apple CarPlay or Andriod Auto if the stock system isn’t living up to expectations. Porsche, however, is looking to strike up an exclusive deal with a company to produce a third-party infotainment system that will be fully integrated into its vehicles. Here is everything you need to know about the possible partnership between Porsche and Google.

Privacy concerns have Porsche going its own way

While Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto, among other smartphone integration systems, are impressive and bring a ton of information and entertainment to drivers everywhere, there is a true privacy concern with using these smartphone-integrated systems in your vehicle. 

The main privacy concern in data collection. Many drivers are worried about data collection from companies via their smartphones, many are concerned about what this data collection could mean. Plugging your phone into your car could broadcast speed, location, driving habits, and even commute data to serve advertisements on the way to your destination.

Data is one of the world’s most valuable products, and according to CarBuzz, tech companies like Google make most of their revenue from harvesting and selling data. Porsche is slow to act on having a third party develop an infotainment system for this very reason.

Porsche is choosing a partner carefully

Porsche has been working carefully to choose an infotainment system partner, and so far, it is reported that Porsche has already held meetings with Apple and Google to see if an agreement can be met that does not infringe on customer privacy through overreaching data collection. 

So far, Porsche and Google have had the most success in their discussions, and if Porsche adopts Google’s infotainment system, drivers will be able to use Google Maps and Google Assistant, among other apps, without their smartphones. 

With more and more executives and business-minded people looking to leave their smart devices at home while they are away from work, this would allow drivers to have all the information and entertainment they would want from Google without being tethered to a phone.

Will a new precedent be set?

With more increasingly intuitive systems being developed for vehicle infotainment systems, Porsche could be on the cutting edge of vehicle-based technology. It all simply comes down to a technology company producing a product that Porsche deems safe enough for the majority of its drivers to use. 

Data harvesting, selling, and even data protection are huge, growing industries, and if Porsche can take a stand here, it may lead to a domino effect of other automotive companies prioritizing privacy as well.