Cars with internet-connected features are fast becoming all-seeing data-harvesting machines—a so-called "privacy nightmare on wheels," according to US-based research conducted by the Mozilla Foundation.

Cars are a ‘privacy nightmare on wheels’. Here’s how they get away with collecting and sharing your data::Cars with internet-connected features are fast becoming all-seeing data-harvesting machines—a so-called “privacy nightmare on wheels,” according to US-based research conducted by the Mozilla Foundation.

@Poe@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
71Y

I suppose that’s one thing my 2008 shitbox has going for it… Seems like every product is moving towards the advertising mindset

I read at Tesla employees were sending memes around around their offices with photos from inside owners garages that were compromising or amusing.

Wonder if you disabled cellular on these cars, take away its ability to call home, if the car would still be usable, or would it just brick itself?

@flooppoolf@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
12
edit-2
1Y

Also, is there regulations in place that prohibit this from happening?

For example, if my all in one GPS CarOS Bluetooth WiFi CarPlay Android Auto headset decides to take a shit and die, my brake pedal absolutely better fucking work… right?

There shouldn’t be anything keeping the car from running normally. I expect any tech you wouldn’t find in a ‘66 chevelle (anything aside from 12v push lighter, signals) to be busted if telematics are disabled.

edit: anyone remember The Toyota Brake Failure Scandal?

America is a corporatocracy, with automotive as a major player, there will be no help from the government on this.

@flooppoolf@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
31Y

Well, after the electronic brake scandal with Toyota I’m sure the redundancies Tangler is talking about were set in place. It sucks here but we’re not in the Cyberpunk Dystopia just yet.

@snekerpimp@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
01Y

These are not Apache helicopters. These are designed and manufactured on a shoestring budget. They don’t have time or money for any redundancy, and there is no current policy in place that I know of that mandates redundancy of by-wire systems.

@TheWildTangler@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
2
edit-2
1Y

Electronic throttle and braking have redundancies, you should be safe in that regard

@snekerpimp@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
31Y

I’m curious what electronic throttle’s redundancy is? I have been in automotive parts and repair almost 15 years, and drive by wire has no redundancy. If that module goes bad, or connection corrodes, you are dead in the water. Braking has always been hydraulic based but with electric actuators for ABS, so I kinda see your point of redundancy there. Steering has to be mechanical, but Lexus and Mercedes have been chipping away at that for a decade, and they are asking for no mechanical fallback, as it would hurt the user experience.

@CADmonkey@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
21Y

Less of a “backup” and more of a “fail closed” system, from what I’ve seen. The throttle will at least have the decency to drop to idle when it stops working as opposed to staying at it’s last position.

@flooppoolf@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
6
edit-2
1Y

$80,000 brand new luxury sedan with a voided 30,000 mile warranty and permanently enabled check engine light more likely.

I imagine there is a radio stuffed under the hood that you can just pull the fuck out or disconnect the antennas running to it.

@snekerpimp@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
51Y

See, even if you cut the antenna, the transmitter is still there putting out a signal. Once you get close enough to a tower, in the right conditions, signal could get out, dumping any data stored. Disabling it by removing the SIM or the transmitter would be the best way to go, though I’m sure most are eSIM.

@flooppoolf@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
11
edit-2
1Y

Check this out. Forum talks about Toyota making you jump through hoops to disable it officially, or you can pull a fuse and lose access to hands free and other radio tools.

The move for Toyota seems to be to pull the fuse and install an aftermarket radio, in Ford’s case removal of the actual telemetrics box if the manufacturer has one installed in the select model is sufficient and does not disable anything important. I can’t fathom what Mercedes, BMW, and GM does as they are notorious for making things hard to access.

Edit: I recall GM had made intellisense or whatever the fuck it’s proprietary software is called open source since the car reminded me on every start up. I don’t recall ever seeing anything interesting made for it.

Edit2: Intellilink

@snekerpimp@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
31Y

There are ways around hardware and software locks unofficially. I’m sure as soon as the same people that hack 3d printers get their hands on these in the second and third hand market the ways of spoofing or disabling the monitoring and feature locks will be many. Feel sorry for the rich idiot that pays monthly for his heated seats and wonders why he gets targeted ads.

I have 2 questions: I suppose there isn’t a jailbreaking scene for cars due to potential security/insurance concerns? (beyond unlocking infotainment features) and 2: are any manufacturers using open source software for their systems?

@Darorad@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
81Y

They’re all built on an open source base, but everything they add is proprietary

@Fubar91@lemmy.world
link
fedilink
English
3
edit-2
1Y

1: there is, but at this point its pretty niche and scattered. Lots of its hush-hush due to like you said potential security/insurance concerns. Mostly used for cracking and getting system/diagnostics readouts and error codes, Fob cloning, etc. without forking out cash to do so through the so called “proper channels”.

2: not that I’ve seen, and from they software they do use it seems mainly in house additions.

Though im not super into the scene, and i see it growing rapidly over the next few years seeing manufacturers keep doing some scummy shit to lock down their products.

Edit: fat fingered post before i finished typing it out oops.

SpaceBar
link
fedilink
English
91Y

Honest question. I feel like I’ve seen this same story 5 times already… is it being reposted a lot?

paraphrand
link
fedilink
English
31Y

This was gonna be my comment.

Create a post

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


  • 1 user online
  • 210 users / day
  • 601 users / week
  • 1.38K users / month
  • 4.49K users / 6 months
  • 1 subscriber
  • 7.41K Posts
  • 84.7K Comments
  • Modlog