The CEO of TomTom is warning carmakers about what he calls the risks of partnering up with Silicon Valley tech companies, after shares in his Dutch mapping company slumped.
Bloomberg reports that Harold Goddijn said, “It’s a real threat for the entire car industry to give the keys to the kingdom to a third party with its own strategy and tactics,” in an interview in which he expressed concerns on privacy, client data and the “loss of control” on the part of the carmakers.
The website adds that shares in TomTom have tumbled over 25 percent after Renault SA, Nissan Motor Co, and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. announced they would integrate Google’s Android operating system in their car dashboards, despite an existing relationship with TomTom and traditional wariness by car companies of big tech platforms.
Bloomberg comments that carmakers have sought to keep web platforms at bay in a bid to protectively guard valuable car and user data. The partnership with the French-Japanese auto alliance lets Alphabet Inc.’s software control mapping and navigation, infotainment and a suite of apps directly installed in the car.
