Ford just filed a patent for a truck that monitors your face, your eyes, your emotions, and your "fitness to drive", and won't let you use it if the AI thinks you're not calm enough. You pay for it. You have the title. But Ford decides if you actually get to drive it. Live feeds to insurance companies. Biometric scans running against criminal databases. Microphones capturing every conversation.
This is what happens when the DADSS precedent (mandatory car monitoring for drunk driving) opens the door for scope creep. Manufacturers aren't waiting for public debate. They're filing patents and building the infrastructure right now.
In this episode of The Long Game, we break down Ford's specific patent claims, explore what the monitoring system actually does, and explain why this matters for ownership, disability access, privacy, and your future. This is the second domino. And it's already falling.
๐ Sources & Further Reading:
Ford Patent US20240249706A1 โ patents.google.com/patent/US20240249706A1
Right to Repair Movement & Control โ eff.org/deeplinks/2023/04/right-repair-movement-and-threat-right-manipulate
John Deere Right to Repair Fight โ eff.org/news/right-repair-fight-expanding
Facial Recognition Bias Study โ nytimes.com/2018/02/09/technology/facial-recognition-race-bias.html
BMW Heated Seats Subscription โ theverge.com/2022/7/12/23211500/bmw-subscription-fee-heated-seats-us-plans
some people would read this and will still buy a ford, these companies are taking advantage of the fact that
1- Most people don't know any better / don't bother to do their research even if its one query to the internet.
2- People like picking sides and will still pick this over other viable options, just like how people still pick Tesla when they're actively treating their customers like inconvienent nuances and straight up denying claims for no reason while pushing the "You will own nothing and be happy" motto with their subscription models.
The only reason these predatory companies exist is because most people aren't educated and will not be
It doesn't help that there are almost no alternatives that truly provide an alternative.
The vehicle market is highly regulated, so there just aren't a lot of options with fewer electronics, especially since there's a pretty significant set of electronics required by law to just be able to sell a vehicle, then it's not much more to just throw in a few options just for the luxury of it.
Best way to go is to try your best to not need a vehicle, but stick with bikes, walking, and public transportation.