Introduction to Privacy Concerns

The artificial intelligence industry is gradually revealing its privacy risks. Waymo, Alphabet’s robotaxi business, has announced that it may utilize videos of passengers captured by in-vehicle cameras to sell ads and train its AI models.

Report by TechCrunch

As reported by TechCrunch, the unreleased policy was initially spotted by renowned software researcher Jane Manchun Wong, who posted about it on X on Saturday. A screenshot provided by Wong shows the terms of use that the robotaxi company plans to ask riders to comply with. An opt-out option is provided to comply with California’s privacy law. Although it’s unclear how Wong accessed the new policy, which hasn’t been shared publicly, Wong is known for discovering unreleased updates by digging through companies’ software.

Details of the Policy

The screenshot of the policy states: "Waymo may share data to improve and analyze its functionality and to tailor products, services, ads, and offers to your interests. You can opt out of sharing your information with third parties, unless it’s necessary to the functioning of the service." Wong has noted that the new policy will include an opt-out option for California riders, complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act—one of the only comprehensive state privacy laws in the country. The CCPA allows residents to access and delete data that has been collected about them.

Opt-Out Option

"Opt out of Waymo, or its affiliates, using your personal information (including interior camera data associated with your identity) for training GAI," the screenshot reads. As TechCrunch notes, it’s not entirely clear what sort of data would be collected or used by the company. Gizmodo has reached out to Waymo for more information.

Waymo’s Success and Expansion

Waymo has become one of the most successful robotaxi companies on the market. With the swift implosion of its core competitor Cruise (which is owned by GM), Waymo has become the dominant player in California’s self-driving car industry. Waymo, which is currently operational in a handful of cities across the country, recently partnered with Uber, signaling an expansion of services. Other companies, including Elon Musk’s Tesla, have also gestured at future plans to launch robotaxi services—although none have enjoyed Waymo’s level of success yet.