February 21, 2022 – Dubai, UAE – XA Group (XA), the region’s trusted provider of technologically advanced automotive repair solution provider, has joined forces with Privacy4Cars, the first privacy-tech company focused on identifying the challenges posed by vehicle data and creating solutions to better protect consumers, to provide the region’s first-of-its-kind platform designed to help erase Personal Information (PI) from modern vehicles. The collaboration will offer privacy-centric services to the Middle Eastern, Australian, New Zealand, and Indian markets for the first time. Privacy4Cars recently announced that it has secured two patents, including one for a tool to remove privacy information from in-vehicle modules, that would otherwise remain stored in modern vehicles’ systems after a handoff.
XA is an all-inclusive technology-driven solution provider for the automotive repair industry that provides exceptional services and smart tools purposefully engineered to accelerate efficiency. The partnership with Privacy4Cars will digitally connect customers, brokers, insurers, repairers, retailers and suppliers to become part of an ecosystem that will set a new standard of excellence for data protection across the region.
The partnership follows the recent announcement of the new Data Law, launched as a pivotal pillar in the UAE’s ‘Projects of the 50’. The new Data Law went into effect across the UAE on January 2, 2022, with its Executive Regulations expected to be published by March 2022. The Emirates Data Office was established to address growing concerns about people’s and organisations’ privacy and limit entities profiting from personal data. It will also oversee the Law’s implementation as the UAE’s federal data protection regulatory authority.
While the Middle East’s privacy journey is nascent, PI is a rising compliance and reputation risk for automotive businesses across the globe. Failure to remove personal data from a vehicle could have major legal implications and potentially breach and expose the personal data of vehicle users. Through the use of the Privacy4Cars platform, companies within the XA network will be able to leverage the platform’s entire suite of tools to ensure privacy protection and offer Privacy-as-a-Service solutions to automotive players inside and outside XA’s and its affiliates’ networks.
“Privacy4Cars has emerged as the premier solution and gold standard for for the deletion of personal information from vehicles, and not just in North America, but worldwide as privacy compliance has become a global issue,” said Privacy4Cars Founder Andrea Amico. “Through this new distribution partnership with XA, we look to help automotive businesses to limit their liabilities by protecting their customers’ Personal Information in line with local laws and regulations, and at the same time to offer privacy services as a point of differentiation and a source of competitive advantage.”
“At XA, our goal is to drive digitalisation and innovation in the automotive industry. We’re delighted to be the first to introduce Privacy4Cars in our markets and are confident that this solution will deliver value to our customers and partners in the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, and India,” said Ben Barber – Managing Director at XA Group. “This solution protects consumers when they rent, buy or sell a vehicle, ensuring their personal data is secure. By combining Privacy4Cars’ domain expertise with XA’s demonstrated leadership in the automotive sector , we look forward to raising the bar for innovation and delivering exciting new experiences for our customers.”
