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<!-- Source: https://consumerrights.wiki/wiki/Ford -->
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{{CompanyCargo
|Founded=1903
|Industry=Automotive
|Logo=Ford.png
|Type=Public
|Website=https://ford.com/
|Description=Automobile company which collects user data and sells it to third parties for advertising. Highest number of vehicle recalls in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
}}


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The '''[[Wikipedia:Ford Motor Company|Ford Motor Company]]''' was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan. With the introduction of a moving assembly line, Ford drastically reduced the cost and time of automobile production, making cars affordable for the masses and transforming industrial production globally. It is one of the oldest and largest automobile manufacturers, one of the "Big Three" American automakers, alongside General Motors (GM) and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler).<!-- In general, keep this bio as a basic background about the company -->
Henry Ford made the first patent Ford automobile, the quadricycle in 1896. He then incorporated the Ford motor company in 1903. They're now a company known pretty well for anti-consumer behaviour<!-- casual language + too accusatory, see NPOV. These are to be factual articles. -->, and automotive-typical practices like marked up parts sharing that probably started in the late 1990's.<!-- In general, keep this bio as a basic background about the company -->


=== Anti-Consumer Practices ===
==Consumer protection summary<!-- Needs more of the summary filled in, check https://wiki.rossmanngroup.com/wiki/Consumer_Action_Taskforce:Sample/Company for details -->==
Ford have been known recently for being the maker of America's most recalled vehicles<!-- citation needed, and time needs to be defined -->. CEO Jim Farley recently<!-- when? citation + reference needed --> said "no more recalls", and at least in Europe, that's been enforced by selling engines that break themselves and sometimes catch fire doing it, with the only recall being to fix the fire part. Ford have filed dangerous patents and have managed to find a way in the 2020's to make a software update go so wrong it bricks a vehicle.


===User privacy===
:Ford’s data collection practices and privacy policies have raised significant concerns:
:*Extensive data collection: Ford collects a wide range of personal and vehicle data, including location, driving behavior (speed, braking), voice commands, media preferences, and even passenger information. This data is linked to the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which can be tied to individual users.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Privacy |url=https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260210074703/https://www.ford.com/help/privacy/ |archive-date=February 10, 2026 |website=Ford}}</ref>
:*Data collected includes purchase history, financial information, coarse and precise location data, contact information, identifiers (e.g., VIN, account ID), user-generated content (e.g., voice recordings from smart features), search and browsing history for advertising purposes, usage data, sensitive information (under "Inferences"), diagnostics, and more.<ref name=":0" />
:*Aggregates data from external sources as well, including users' social media posts.<ref name=":0" />
:*Privacy policy is designed to prevent quickly searching for important terms.<ref name=":0" />
:*Lack of transparency and control: Users are often unaware of the scope of data collection, and Ford’s policies allow sharing with affiliates, dealers, advertisers, and law enforcement. The company reserves the right to override location settings in certain circumstances (e.g., repossession, legal requests).<ref name=":0" />
:*Security vulnerabilities: Past incidents, such as cybersecurity flaws in the FordPass app and exposed customer records, highlight risks of data breaches. Ford has been criticized for dismissing external reports of vulnerabilities.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=August 15, 2023 |title=Ford |url=https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/privacynotincluded/ford/ |website=mozillafoundation.org  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223043744/https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/privacynotincluded/ford/ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref>
:*According to Ford's Annual CCPA Metrics for 2024, the company received 137 requests to delete personal information and denied 7.<ref name=":0" />
===User freedom===
:*Limited opt-out options: Ford’s default settings opt users into data collection, with no clear path to fully delete data. Passengers and secondary drivers must also be informed of data collection, placing the burden on the primary user.<ref name=":0" />
:*Opt-in by default: Connected features accessed via the FordPass app, such as remote start and tire pressure checks, send vehicle data to Ford by default. According to Mozilla's Privacy Not Included review, halting account-linked data sharing requires performing a master reset or removing the VIN from the account.<ref name=":4" />
===Business model===
:*Data monetization: Ford’s business model leverages user data for targeted advertising, joint marketing, and partnerships (e.g., Sirius XM). This aligns with broader industry trends where data is a revenue driver.
:*AI and surveillance: Investments in AI (e.g., Baidu’s SYNC system in China) enable deeper user profiling, raising ethical questions about surveillance and consent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marr |first=Bernard |date=July 2, 2021 |title=The Amazing Ways The Ford Motor Company Uses Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning |url=https://bernardmarr.com/the-amazing-ways-the-ford-motor-company-uses-artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning/ |website=  |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260219172306/https://bernardmarr.com/the-amazing-ways-the-ford-motor-company-uses-artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning/ |archive-date=19 Feb 2026}}</ref>
===Market control===
:*Dealership consolidation: Ownership groups that already hold multiple dealerships have acquired Ford-branded outlets, such as 1911265 Alberta Ltd.'s 2016 acquisition of Freedom Ford Sales Limited. Canada's Competition Bureau reviewed the Freedom Ford transaction and issued a No Action Letter on January 29, 2016, concluding that effective remaining competitors made a substantial lessening of competition unlikely.<ref name=":freedomford-cb">{{Cite web |title=Acquisition of Freedom Ford Sales Limited by 1911265 Alberta Ltd. |url=https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/en/how-we-foster-competition/education-and-outreach/position-statements/acquisition-freedom-ford-sales-limited-1911265-alberta-ltd |website=Competition Bureau Canada |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250820052528/https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/en/how-we-foster-competition/education-and-outreach/position-statements/acquisition-freedom-ford-sales-limited-1911265-alberta-ltd |archive-date=20 Aug 2025}}</ref>
:*Dependence on connected services: By integrating AI and IoT (e.g., autonomous vehicles, CarStory analytics), Ford reinforces market dominance in connected car technology, potentially stifling smaller competitors.


===Anti-consumer practices===
*Patents regarding consumer data
**Ford has secured a patent for a system that is unrelated to core driving functions and involves vehicle repossession, allowing access restrictions in cases of missed payments. Ford has clarified that holding the patent does not necessarily mean it will be implemented in future products. However, the existence of such a system could influence consumer perceptions of the company and affect their willingness to accept certain sales terms.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Gitlin |first=Jonathan M. |date=March 2, 2023 |title=Ford files patent for system that could remotely repossess a car |url=https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/03/ford-files-patent-for-system-that-could-remotely-repossess-a-car/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223043817/https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/03/ford-files-patent-for-system-that-could-remotely-repossess-a-car/ |archive-date=February 23, 2026 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref>
*Engineering practices
**Ford suffered a significant hit to its reputation regarding the Pinto, a car the company sold through the entire 1970's decade and the company's first subcompact. A number of high-profile incidents happened involving the cars getting rear-ended and subsequently lighting on fire due to the fuel tank rupturing and spilling gas; in subsequent lawsuits and criminal cases, Ford was accused of knowing the cars had a defect and deciding not to fix it based on an internal cost-benefit analysis that supposedly found it far cheaper to settle the lawsuits than actually fix the defect.
**Some engine designs use a rubber belt, rather than a metal chain, to drive the oil pump. This belt operates submerged in engine oil and may wear out prematurely, potentially leading to a sudden loss of oil pressure. Additionally, they have released transmission systems in certain ''Fiesta'' and ''Focus'' models that have experienced issues, including loss of power during acceleration, gear shifting, or at constant speeds, as well as unintended acceleration. It has been reported that a software update rendered a vehicle inoperable.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Braithwaite-Smith |first=Gavin |date=February 23, 2026 |title=BBC Watchdog shines light on Ford EcoBoost wet belt problem |url=https://garagewire.co.uk/news/bbc-watchdog-ford-ecoboost-wet-belt-problem/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223043859/https://garagewire.co.uk/news/bbc-watchdog-ford-ecoboost-wet-belt-problem/ |archive-date=February 23, 2026 |website=garagewire.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Howard |first=Phoebe Wall |date=July 11, 2019 |title=Ford knew Focus, Fiesta models had flawed transmission, sold them anyway |url=https://www.freep.com/in-depth/money/cars/ford/2019/07/11/ford-focus-fiesta-transmission-defect/1671198001/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260221023357/https://www.freep.com/in-depth/money/cars/ford/2019/07/11/ford-focus-fiesta-transmission-defect/1671198001/ |archive-date=February 21, 2026 |website=Detroit Free Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 11, 2023 |title=Automatic Software Update Bricked my Truck |url=https://www.fordraptorforum.com/threads/automatic-software-update-bricked-my-truck.96624/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250415151514/https://www.fordraptorforum.com/threads/automatic-software-update-bricked-my-truck.96624/ |archive-date=April 15, 2025 |website=www.fordraptorforum.com}}</ref>
**Ford has had the highest number of vehicle recalls in the U.S. in 2021, 2022, and 2023. While recall volume can be influenced by market share, larger automakers often have more recalls, it may also reflect differences in production quality compared to competitors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NHTSA Recalls by Manufacturer |url=https://datahub.transportation.gov/stories/s/NHTSA-Recalls-by-Manufacturer/38mw-dp8u/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260203181946/https://datahub.transportation.gov/stories/s/NHTSA-Recalls-by-Manufacturer/38mw-dp8u/ |archive-date=February 3, 2026 |website=datahub.transportation.gov}}</ref>


Ford also have obtained patents for systems like one that feeds ads to distract the driver<!-- is this really the purpose of the adverts? seems unlikely --> of their automobiles<ref>https://therecord.media/ford-patent-application-in-vehicle-listening-advertising</ref>, and another patent for a system to annoy the owner of, restrict access to and then repossess or destroy vehicles where the owner "has defected" on finance payments<ref>https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/03/ford-files-patent-for-system-that-could-remotely-repossess-a-car/</ref>.
====In-vehicle advertising patent====
In February 2023, Ford filed United States patent application number 20240289844, titled "In-Vehicle Advertisement Presentation Systems and Methods."<ref name=":fordadpatent-justia">{{Cite web |date=23 Feb 2023 |title=IN-VEHICLE ADVERTISEMENT PRESENTATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS |url=https://patents.justia.com/patent/20240289844 |url-status=live |access-date=29 Mar 2025 |website=Justia Patents |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708193151/https://patents.justia.com/patent/20240289844 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025}}</ref> The application describes a system that combines historical user data with audio signals from inside the vehicle to serve personalized advertisements through the human-machine interface, monitoring conversations between occupants to decide when, how many, and in what format to present ads.<ref name=":fordadpatent-justia" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Smalley |first=Suzanne |date=September 9, 2024 |title=Ford seeks patent for tech that listens to driver conversations to serve ads |url=https://therecord.media/ford-patent-application-in-vehicle-listening-advertising |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260101115700/https://therecord.media/ford-patent-application-in-vehicle-listening-advertising |archive-date=January 1, 2026 |website=therecord.media}}</ref> The patent overview states that "such systems and methods further provide the opposite force to a user's natural inclination to seek minimal or no ads."<ref name=":fordadpatent-justia" /> Vehicle location and navigation data would be used to infer the user's residence or workplace and to select ads tied to commercial locations along the driver's route; current traffic data could trigger increased ad delivery during longer trips spent in congestion.<ref name=":fordadpatent-justia" /> For the full incident article, see [[Ford ad patent]].


[[Category:Companies]]
====Lip-reading and facial expression detection patent application====
Ford Global Technologies, LLC is the named applicant on patent application US 2026/0095520 A1, titled "Systems and methods for hands-free communication in convertible vehicles," published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on April 2, 2026.<ref name=":ford-lipread-patent">{{Cite web |url=https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20260095520 |title=Systems and methods for hands-free communication in convertible vehicles (US 2026/0095520 A1) |last=Weston |first=Keith |author2=Van Wiemeersch, John Robert |author3=Flis, Matthew |author4=Diamond, Brendan |publisher=United States Patent and Trademark Office |date=2026-04-02 |access-date=2026-04-06}}</ref> The named inventors are Keith Weston, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Matthew Flis, and Brendan Diamond. The application was filed October 1, 2024 as application number 18/903,253. A [[:File:Ford_patent_US20260095520A1.pdf|local archive of the patent application PDF]] is hosted on this wiki.
 
The application describes a vehicle that detects when it is in a convertible state (top retracted, panel removed, door removed, or sunroof open) and, if cabin noise exceeds a threshold, switches its in-vehicle communication system into an enhanced mode.<ref name=":ford-lipread-patent" /> The enhanced mode can enable a lip reading mode and a gesture and facial expression detection mode. The application states that "[t]he one or more cameras of the vehicle capture the movements of the user's lips" and that the captured video is processed using machine learning algorithms trained on datasets of lip movements.<ref name=":ford-lipread-patent-p5">{{Cite web |url=https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20260095520 |title=Systems and methods for hands-free communication in convertible vehicles (US 2026/0095520 A1) |last=Weston |first=Keith |author2=Van Wiemeersch, John Robert |author3=Flis, Matthew |author4=Diamond, Brendan |publisher=United States Patent and Trademark Office |date=2026-04-02 |access-date=2026-04-06 |page=5}}</ref> It also describes a method in which "the vehicle may emit inaudible sound waves and analyze the echoes that bounce back from the user's lip and mouth" to detect facial movements.<ref name=":ford-lipread-patent-p5" /> Independent claim 16 recites storing in a database the association between each of a plurality of gestures and a corresponding verbal command. Dependent claim 17 adds the steps of detecting a gesture, looking up its corresponding command in the database, and executing that command.<ref name=":ford-lipread-patent-p9">{{Cite web |url=https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20260095520 |title=Systems and methods for hands-free communication in convertible vehicles (US 2026/0095520 A1) |last=Weston |first=Keith |author2=Van Wiemeersch, John Robert |author3=Flis, Matthew |author4=Diamond, Brendan |publisher=United States Patent and Trademark Office |date=2026-04-02 |access-date=2026-04-06 |page=9}}</ref>
 
The application describes storing gesture-to-command associations in a vehicle database<ref name=":ford-lipread-patent-p9" /> and transmitting generated speech or text data to the other party in a conversation,<ref name=":ford-lipread-patent-p5" /> but it does not specify whether raw lip-movement video is retained after processing, how long any captured data is kept, or whether any captured data flows to Ford's control servers or cloud infrastructure. As of the April 2, 2026 publication date, it is a published application and has not issued as a granted patent. For Ford's earlier in-vehicle data collection practices, see [[Jones v. Ford Motor Co.]].
 
==References==
<references />
[[Category:Ford]]
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