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Mozilla review of 25 car brands finds they're "a privacy nightmare"
(foundation.mozilla.org)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
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.
There are a ton of 12v signal jammers you can use to block this stuff. If manufacturers put tracking in everything these are going to become standard aftermarket equipment.
I already have one in my Mom's car. She can't use her cell phone while driving but that's just an added bonus.
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.
How is it unsafe. You shouldn't be on your phone if the engine is running.
As to illegality, it's a 5ft radius dead zone. I will worry about it when the FAA detects it and can prove the containing vehicle. In the Western US that should be sometime in 2100. For everywhere else outside of Europe who the fuck knows, but it won't be soon.