The Association of Finance & Insurance Professionals (AFIP) and the Association of Dealership Compliance Officers (ADCO) found another unique way to help dealership compliance officers, F&I professionals, and other store leadership.

AFIP and ADCO announced a new promotional partnership with Privacy4Cars this week, so members of the organizations can have access to Privacy4Cars’ Vehicle Privacy Report, AutoCleared, and DisconnectedCar solutions at a preferred pricing rate.

Experts said Privacy4Cars’ suite of vehicle data privacy, security, and safety solutions can help dealerships address a growing blind spot in many compliance programs: the personal data and digital connections associated with vehicles themselves.

“Vehicle personal data is becoming an even more important compliance and risk-management issue for dealerships, but it is not always addressed by traditional compliance programs,” AFIP/ADCO president Shannon Robertson said in a news release. “Our members look to AFIP/ADCO to help them identify practical tools that reduce risk and improve dealership operations.

“Privacy4Cars gives dealers a clear, affordable way to protect customers, support disclosure obligations, delete customer data in vehicles at trade in or lease return, disconnect prior users’ remote access where available, and document the handling of personal information left behind in vehicles,” Robertson continued.

Experts explained that today’s vehicles are connected devices capable of collecting, storing, and transmitting sensitive personal information, including contacts, call logs, location history, garage codes, app credentials, payment details, and other personal data.

In many cases, expert added vehicles remain connected to prior users through OEM apps, with digital keys, and remote access features that can allow a previous owner or user to locate, unlock, start, or interact with a vehicle after it changes hands.

Yet vehicle data and connected-car access are often overlooked in dealership compliance and cybersecurity programs, according to Privacy4Cars founder and CEO Andrea Amico.

“Connected cars are an incredible convenience when consumers are in control of their vehicle, but once that vehicle changes hands at a trade-in or lease return, that same convenience can quickly become a safety and security risk.” Amico said in the news release. “For a dealership, that gap can turn into a safety, financial, security, privacy, and liability nightmare or — if managed correctly — into a loyalty and bottom-line improvement.

“Partnering with AFIP/ADCO gives compliance professionals and dealership leaders the tools they need to succeed,” Amico went on to say.

Dealership compliance officers and F&I professionals interested in the member benefits can contact AFIP/ADCO or Lindsey Sanders at (940) 594-6713 or [email protected] and/or Sherryl Nens of Privacy4Cars at (949) 230-0713 or [email protected] for enrollment details.