When people think about online privacy, they often think about protecting children. At Safe Sprouts, that is a major part of what we do. We work to help families understand the digital world their children are growing up in and how to make safer choices.
But there is another side of the privacy conversation that often gets overlooked: adult privacy.
Many adults assume they are too ordinary to be interesting. They assume that because they are not famous, wealthy, or public figures, their data is not valuable. In reality, data about everyday people is incredibly valuable. It fuels advertising networks, recommendation engines, analytics platforms, market research, and countless business decisions.
The first step toward understanding digital privacy is understanding how much information is already out there.
A Simple Privacy Check Everyone Should Do
One website I recommend to nearly everyone is:
The site allows you to enter an email address and see whether it has appeared in known data breaches.
Most people are surprised by the results.
An email address that has been used for ten or fifteen years often appears in multiple breaches. Those breaches may include usernames, passwords, phone numbers, addresses, purchase histories, or other personal information.
Importantly, those results only show data that was exposed accidentally through security incidents.
They do not show information that was intentionally collected, analyzed, shared, or sold through legal business agreements.
The Data Economy
Modern technology companies collect information because information has value.
Many of the services we enjoy every day are provided at little or no direct cost. The business model often relies on understanding users well enough to provide relevant products, services, recommendations, and advertisements.
This does not necessarily mean anything improper is happening. Most companies disclose data collection practices through privacy policies and user agreements.
The challenge is that very few people read those agreements, and even fewer understand how much information is being generated in the background.
Your phone knows where you travel.
Your browser knows what you search for.
Your smart TV knows what you watch.
Your vehicle may know where you drive, how you drive, how often you charge, how quickly you accelerate, and much more.
Individually, these pieces of information may seem harmless. Together, they can paint a remarkably detailed picture of a person’s habits, interests, routines, and lifestyle.
From Wrenches to Software
When I was fifteen years old, I started working on cars.
Over the years, I rebuilt a 1965 Ford Mustang, worked on countless engines, and spent more weekends than I can remember turning wrenches. Today, my younger son and I keep a couple of 30-year-old dirt bikes running simply because we enjoy it.
For me, there has always been something deeply satisfying about understanding how a machine works.
If you’ve ever read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, you’ll understand what I mean. There is a certain peace that comes from taking something apart, understanding its design, and putting it back together with a deeper appreciation for how it works.
That curiosity shaped much of my life.
The work I have been doing on my 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV is, in many ways, the digital version of what I was doing mechanically in my youth.
Many people, myself included, have approached electric vehicles with a certain amount of uncertainty. They are different. They are filled with software, networking, sensors, cloud services, and systems that don’t look anything like the engines many of us grew up working on.
For someone whose experience came from rebuilding carburetors, replacing intake manifolds, adjusting timing, and diagnosing mechanical problems, modern electric vehicles can feel like a completely different world.
I was fortunate to spend much of my professional career working in software and technology, which made the transition easier for me. Even so, there was a learning curve.
The encouraging part is that the learning curve is getting smaller every year.
It is no longer an impossible task to explore and understand the systems inside your vehicle. Just as enthusiasts in the 1970s and 1980s learned by installing larger carburetors, swapping manifolds, and tuning engines, today’s vehicle owners can learn by understanding software, networks, sensors, and vehicle communications.
The tools are different.
The curiosity is the same.
At its core, this project is not about defeating technology. It is about understanding it. It is about bringing the same hands-on mindset that previous generations applied to mechanical systems into the connected and software-driven vehicles of today.
Connected Vehicles: The Next Frontier
One area that has captured my interest recently is connected vehicles.
Modern vehicles are no longer isolated machines. Many are effectively computers on wheels with cellular connections, cloud services, mobile applications, remote diagnostics, software updates, navigation services, and connected ecosystems.
These services provide real benefits.
Remote start, navigation assistance, vehicle diagnostics, roadside support, charging management, and software updates all make ownership easier and more convenient.
But convenience always comes with tradeoffs.
Many vehicle owners have little visibility into what information leaves their vehicle, how frequently it is transmitted, where it is stored, or how long it is retained.
That doesn’t automatically mean anything improper is happening. Most manufacturers are simply building connected products that customers increasingly expect.
The challenge is understanding what is happening behind the scenes.
A Personal Project in Digital Transparency
As part of my own privacy journey, I have been working on a project involving my personal vehicle, a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV.
The goal is not to disconnect the vehicle from the world or disable useful features. Modern connected vehicles provide many benefits, including remote diagnostics, navigation services, software updates, charging management, and convenience features that many owners appreciate.
Instead, my goal is to better understand what information is being transmitted, where it is going, and how much control owners actually have over those communications.
To accomplish this, I am working toward routing vehicle communications through dedicated networking equipment that allows me to observe and manage connectivity independently of the vehicle’s native cloud-connected ecosystem. In simple terms, I am attempting to separate the vehicle from the cloud environment it was designed to operate within so I can better understand exactly how those systems communicate.
The project is still evolving, but it has been a fascinating learning experience involving privacy, cybersecurity, networking, electric vehicles, and modern connected technologies. Along the way, I have learned just how much information today’s vehicles are capable of generating and sharing.
The goal is not to hide.
The goal is to understand.
If this topic interests you, I am always happy to share what I have learned. The project has become a practical exercise in digital transparency and has taught me a tremendous amount about how connected technologies work. If you are exploring similar questions about privacy, connected devices, electric vehicles, or cybersecurity, I would love to compare notes.
Privacy Is About Awareness
Privacy conversations sometimes become polarized.
One side argues that privacy concerns are overblown.
The other side assumes every company is acting with malicious intent.
The truth is usually somewhere in the middle.
Most organizations collect data because it provides value to their business and their customers. At the same time, consumers deserve to understand what information is being collected and how it is being used.
Being privacy-conscious does not require paranoia.
It requires awareness.
Just as we teach children to think critically about what they share online, adults should think critically about the information they generate every day.
Practical Steps You Can Take
You do not need to become a cybersecurity expert to improve your privacy.
Start with a few simple habits:
- Check your email addresses on Have I Been Pwned.
- Use unique passwords for important accounts.
- Enable multi-factor authentication whenever possible.
- Review privacy settings on major services you use regularly.
- Understand what data your connected devices collect.
- Ask questions before granting permissions you do not understand.
- Periodically review the applications and services connected to your accounts.
Small steps add up.
Teaching by Example
One of the most effective ways to protect children is to model good digital habits ourselves.
When children see adults taking privacy seriously, asking questions, and making thoughtful decisions about technology, they learn to do the same.
Digital safety is not only about protecting kids from today’s threats.
It is about helping families develop lifelong habits around technology, privacy, and personal responsibility.
The more we understand about our digital lives, the better equipped we are to make informed choices for ourselves and for the next generation.
Privacy is not about hiding.
Privacy is about understanding.
Leave a Reply