“Kia Connect is a customer convenience feature, not a certified safety vehicle tracker,” the firm told the BBC.
“Therefore, it does not provide live-tracking functionality for stolen vehicles.
“It is possible to release location details of a vehicle via Kia Connect, however this must be done in full compliance with all applicable laws, particularly GDPR and authorities, to minimize risk to the customer.”
The GPDR is Europe’s data protection law, and an almost identical version applies in the UK.
According to the UK data regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office, users have the right to access their information and organizations must respond to a request by an individual who can be identified from the personal data within one calendar month.
In a standard vehicle theft situation, police have no formal powers to demand this data without specific consent from the Home Office, which is rarely sought on these occasions, the BBC understands.
It is up to individual car manufacturers to share data with law enforcement based on their own policies.
Kia offers a Safety Vehicle Tracking service in the US to customers who take its Premium package, but it is not available in the UK or Europe.
