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Mozilla review of 25 car brands finds they're "a privacy nightmare"
(foundation.mozilla.org)
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this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2023
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Maybe a dumb question, but if all of the vehicle's bells and whistles are meticulously recording my every move... how do those data get back to the auto manufacturer anyhow? I read the article and the "how that works" link, and sure it mentioned phone connectivity, but if I don't connect my phone, then my car presumably has no way to communicate what it collects... or are there a bunch of extra radios that phone home (satellite, cellular...)?
Many (if not most) new cars have their own cellular service built in. They spin this as being able to hotspot to your vehicle if you pay for data or being able to remote lock/start your vehicle with their app. However, the vehicle manufacturer has their own plan allowing them to relay back telemetry data regardless of whether you buy a data package.
But isn't an ongoing cellular plan a cost for the manufacturer? How do they afford it?
Miniscule amount of data. Probably cheap AF negotiated prices
Well, they sell your data to 3rd party companies, completing the cycle that resulted in this article.
They offset the cost with services. My pickup has a service where, for $15/month, I can replicate everything the key fob does for free, but with longer range using my phone. I don't pay for it; in 9 years of owning the truck, not once have I had a need to unlock the doors or remote start it from farther away than the key fob reaches, but each person who does pay for it - and you know there are many out there that are all in - probably offsets the cost for several who do not.
If it offered more features, like letting me know how much fuel is in the tank or the condition of the filters and tire pressures - all of which is available in the on board computer - I'd be more interested, but I'm still not sure I'd pay $15/month for that.
Jokes on them, though - it has a 2G radio in it, which is now useless. They keep trying to get me to buy their upgraded radio for it "so I can keep using those services" that I don't use. I was like, send it to me free and I'll consider it, but they want me to pay $150 or something for it. Pass.
I intend to keep that pickup as close to forever as possible.
Cars don't need much data, they should be fine on something like £10 per month plan. £10 * 12 = £120 per year. £120 * 10 = £1200 per 10 years. Car manufacturer can simply add £1200 to the price of a new car and you won't even notice that. But they are definitely negotiating B2B tarrifs, so it's probably even cheaper.
Bruh those are highly illegal. At least in not backwards countries.
Youre also jamming other peoples services. what happens in an emergency?
And chinese laser pointers are also exactly the mw that is specified.
I for one appreciate the information you've shared here.
Maybe people just don't 100% trust the word of someone they don't know on the internet, when they make claims without any supporting evidence. That's not dumb; it's appropriately cautious. Do you have any evidence to back up what you say?
That's highly fucking illegal and extremely dangerous. You're a fucking idiot
There were a beautiful few weeks when Lemmy was a more pleasant place with better quality of discussion than reddit. Unfortunately that time seems to have passed.
I'm pretty sure those are illegal.