This information sheet provides information about how AUDI AG, Auto-Union-Strasse 1, 85057 Ingolstadt ("we"/"us") accesses and stores personal and non-personal information (hereinafter, referred to as "information") on your vehicle/mobile device (e.g. your smartphone).
1. General
The German Telecommunications and Telemedia Data Protection Act (abbreviated as: TTDSG) is designed to protect end equipment connected to the public telecommunications network (usually the Internet) and to provide legal clarity with regard to the storage of and access to information on such end equipment. As modern AUDI vehicles can also send information over the Internet, AUDI vehicles are also "end equipment" within the meaning of the Act. However, the Act does not just apply to your vehicle. Your smartphone, which sends information over the Internet when you use the myAudi app, is also end equipment within the meaning of the Act.
Below we describe how we store and access information on your vehicle/mobile device over the Internet.
This does not affect our obligation to provide information under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), when the vehicle data we process contains personal information. For more information, please see the general and specific privacy policies at: https://www.audi.de/de/brand/de.html#layer=/de/brand/de/tools/navigation/layer/rechtliches/datenschutz.html
2. When does the Act (TTDSG) apply in the context of vehicles?
Section 25 TTDSG regarding the protection of end equipment applies if information is stored on your vehicle over public telecommunications networks or if data on your vehicle is accessed over public telecommunications networks. In the cases listed below, we normally access vehicle data or store information, such as updates, on your vehicle over the Internet (which is a public telecommunications network).
This also applies if we access your mobile device when you are using the myAudi app or the myAudi portal.
However, cases where information on your vehicle is accessed or stored via a direct connection to your vehicle, e.g. via a diagnostic computer at a workshop, are not covered, as there is no exchange of information over the Internet in such cases. In this case, the connection is entirely local.
3. Who stores or accesses information on your vehicle/mobile device and who can I contact?
The information processor for operations under Section 25 TTDSG, regardless of the data controller under data protection law, is:
AUDI AG, Auto-Union-Strasse 1, 85057 Ingolstadt, Germany
For concerns regarding information processing under the TTDSG, please use the following contact details:
Audi Kundenbetreuung Deutschland, Postfach 10 04 57, 85045 Ingolstadt, Germany
Email: kundenbetreuung@audi.de
4. For what purposes is information stored and/or accessed on your vehicle/mobile device and what information is stored and/or accessed?
According to Section 25 TTDSG, we are only allowed to store or access information on your vehicle/mobile device over the Internet if you have given your consent (Section 25(1) sentence 1 TTDSG), the sole purpose of storage or access is to transmit a message via a public telecommunications network (Section 25(2) No. 1 TTDSG) or storage or access is strictly necessary for us to be able to provide you with the services you have explicitly requested (e.g. booked connect services) (Section 25(2) No. 2 TTDSG). Information may also be stored or accessed to comply with legal obligations (e.g. mandatory software updates or emergency call functions).
4.1 Storage of and access to information based on your consent (if given)
4.1.1 Research and development
We access data stored on your vehicle and may store data on your vehicle for the purposes of product monitoring and improvement. This may include, in particular, the vehicle identification number (VIN), myAudi ID, diagnostic data, fault memory entries, various types of technical function data from the assistance systems, comfort systems, control elements (e.g. steering angle, climate control) and control units together with environmental data (e.g. outside temperature, brightness) and, if applicable, the associated position data and information on the length of the route, vehicle speed, and vehicle condition data (e.g. fuel tank level or charge status and mileage).
4.1.2 Personalisation
We access data stored on your vehicle and may store data on your vehicle for the purposes of personalising products and services, optimising services and conducting marketing campaigns. This may include, in particular, the vehicle identification number (VIN), myAudi ID, diagnostic data, fault memory entries, various types of technical function data from the assistance systems, comfort systems, control elements (e.g. steering angle, climate control) and control units together with environmental data (e.g. outside temperature, brightness) and, if applicable, the associated position data and information on the length of the route, vehicle speed, and vehicle condition data (e.g. fuel tank level or charge status and mileage).
4.1.3 Statistics, analysis and reporting
We access data stored on your vehicle and may store data on your vehicle for the purposes of compiling statistics, conducting analyses and creating reports. This may include, in particular, the vehicle identification number (VIN), myAudi ID, diagnostic data, fault memory entries, various types of technical function data from the assistance systems, comfort systems, control elements (e.g. steering angle, climate control) and control units together with environmental data (e.g. outside temperature, brightness) and, if applicable, the associated position data and information on the length of the route, vehicle speed, and vehicle condition data (e.g. fuel tank level or charge status and mileage).
4.2 Storage of and access to information in order to be able to transmit a message over a public telecommunications network.
To ensure communication without problems with your vehicle/mobile device, it may be necessary for us to access information on your vehicle/mobile device or to store information on your vehicle/mobile device. Where we rely on this legal basis for storage, this is the sole purpose of storage and/or access. While driving, for example, data connections may be interrupted because of variable mobile phone coverage. To avoid problems with transferring information in such cases, it may be necessary to store or access certain information on your vehicle.
Where such storage or access is for the purpose of providing an explicitly requested service, we process the information on the legal basis given for this purpose (see below 4.3).
4.3 Storage of and access to information in order to provide you with an explicitly requested service
Another purpose for which we access or store information on your vehicle is to provide the services you have explicitly requested. In these cases, you do not have to give separate consent.
Information is processed on this legal basis, for example, when you use connect services, such as navigation or infotainment services, or control your vehicle remotely via the myAudi app.
In these cases, it is necessary for us to access information from your vehicle (e.g. technical function data, environmental data and vehicle status data) and/or to store information on your vehicle (e.g. updates to maps on your navigation system).
For services that you use via the myAudi app or via the myAudi portal, it may also be necessary for us to access information from your mobile device and/or to store information on your mobile device. In these cases, information is also processed for the purpose of providing you with an explicitly requested service.
4.4 Storage of and access to information to comply with a legal obligation
We may need to access or store information on your vehicle/mobile device to comply with a legal obligation that applies to us. One example of such a legal obligation is an automatic "112 emergency call" in accordance with the eCall Regulation, where the vehicle automatically transmits information on the exact location of the accident, the number of occupants and other vehicle data in the event of an accident.
5. Who receives this information?
The following are potential recipients/categories of recipients of the information, depending on the purpose of access:
6. Withdrawing consent
If you have given your consent to the storage of and/or access to information on your vehicle/mobile device, you can withdraw such consent at any time. Please note that withdrawal of consent is only effective for the future. Please note that such withdrawal of consent does not affect the legality of any access that took place before you withdrew your consent.
Last updated: December 2021