As a society, we have become tracked, categorized, exploited, and monetized.
Tech companies have determined that our data, when sold to ad networks, is a profitable business. Automakers, eager to find additional streams of revenue, jumped aboard. Now, nearly every app, device, and vehicle harvests and shares valuable information. Most of it is (hopefully) anonymized, but not all of it.
Automotive startup Slate doesn't see data as a business plan. Yes, its app will collect information, but a Slate spokesperson, when asked if collected data will be sold for additional revenue, told SAE Media a flat “No.”
“Slate is not building the app around data extraction,” the company said. “We are building it around ownership value. We collect data to make ownership better, not to turn the owner into the product. The app will collect data only when it directly contributes to enabling or improving a customer experience. Privacy is paramount. For Slate, privacy is not a compliance footnote. It is part of the product experience. Customers should understand what is being shared, why it matters, and how it helps them own the vehicle with more confidence. That may include data needed to support account setup, device-to-vehicle connection, diagnostics, maintenance guidance, service support, charging context, OTA update status, customer support, and product improvement. Slate is being intentional about what the app can do and what data it collects. We would rather be precise and trusted than overpromise connected features or collect data without a clear customer benefit.”
That companion app is the only way Slate connects to its upcoming pickup/SUV models. The electric vehicles do not have a modem. It can't phone home to share your location or driving style. For the startup, a modem is just another additional expense that adds cost to the end product. If people want to be connected, they have a smartphone.
The app supports an "in-cabin" experience, including driver mode, vehicle information, charging and range context, diagnostics, and alerts. It also can be used to manage customer ownership, including access to customer support, maintenance guidelines, service history, accessories, account settings, and instructions for vehicle service and use. The app can also access Slate University for DIY instructions and support. Despite all that, you don't actually need to use the app to drive or charge. "You can just get in, insert the key into your Slate Truck, and drive. And, yes, you could leave your phone at home," the spokesperson said.
Data (revenue) stream
The connected car has become a selling point for many automakers. Your vehicle can become an AI companion that helps with navigation, adjusts climate controls, and answers random questions. Sometimes those answers are useful; others, not so much .
This desire for data has gotten some automakers in hot water. GM was recently fined $12.7 million for breaking California's Consumer Privacy Act when it sold driver data without asking for consent. The FTC also wasn't pleased with the automaker in January 2026 when it barred the company from disclosing geolocation and driver behavior data for five years.
When presented with Slate's data policy, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) senior security and privacy activist Thorin Klosowski told SAE Media, "That is ideally what we like to see." Yet, Klosowski wants to remind us that early statements don't always last: "You know, these promises are not always kept, or they're not kept long-term. So it's always going to be something to keep an eye on."
A quick search in your inbox should reveal a variety of "privacy updates" from companies. Sometimes these are small tweaks to adhere to regulatory changes. Other times, they can be strategic shifts by a company that allows more data to be collected and sold to third parties to help boost revenue. There's also a chance of new ownership. For example, the bankruptcy of 23andMe prompted some officials to urge 23andMe users to delete their data from the site ahead of any potential sale that could result in the collected information being sold.
For now, though, Klosowski sees Slate's policy as a good thing. "I have been waiting for a company to come out with a privacy promise like this as a selling point, because I think it's a clear sign to consumers that the company is thinking differently."
Giving consumers the ability to manage their privacy while driving is a promise that could be alluring to some. It helps that Slate doesn't have to contend with legacy decisions and platforms. "I think Slate is in a unique position as a startup. If they don't have an LT connection in their truck, they are already at an advantage here," Klosowski said.
Flip phone, but in truck form
Instead of data, Slate sees its modular vehicle and the accessories and upgrades available for purchase as an ongoing source of revenue. You buy the "Blank Slate" truck, and maybe six months later, you want to outfit it as an SUV. Slate will sell you all the parts to do that. Bored with the gray exterior? Slate will sell you a wrap. The vehicle doesn't even come with a radio. Instead, you can buy a Bluetooth speaker from Slate or outfit it yourself.
With a starting price in the mid-$20,000 range before any local or state incentives, the EV really is a bare bones experience. Removing the modem doesn't just increase privacy; it reduces cost. That final price tag will finally be revealed June 24.
Putting privacy control in the hands of drivers is a bold move considering how much money tech companies make off of our data. Just ask Facebook and Google. Plus, a smartphone is a data goldmine. But you can control your experience. Users can sign out of accounts and anonymize their digital footprint if they want. It's not easy. But it's possible. Also, you can just leave your phone at home or buy a cheap flip phone.
The Slate could be like that flip phone, intentionally lacking many of the bells and whistles found on modern devices. There has been a recent rise in individuals using point-and-shoot cameras, tape and CD players, and essentially moving away from big tech offerings .
"This is like a trust-building step that might be useful for them," Klosowski said. As consumers become more savvy about how their data is used, a company that builds that sort of trust might be onto something.