this post was submitted on 19 Nov 2024
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Privacy

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New research reveals serious privacy flaws in the data practices of new internet connected cars in Australia. It’s yet another reason why we need urgent reform of privacy laws.

Modern cars are increasingly equipped with internet-enabled features. Your “connected car” might automatically detect an accident and call emergency services, or send a notification if a child is left in the back seat.

But connected cars are also sophisticated surveillance devices. The data they collect can create a highly revealing picture of each driver. If this data is misused, it can result in privacy and security threats.

A report published today analysed the privacy terms from 15 of the most popular new car brands that sell connected cars in Australia.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 days ago

Sell me a dumb car.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 days ago (3 children)

I played Cyberpunk 2077 many times and in the game they have vehicle quickhacks that allow you to stop a car temporarily (emergency break), force the car to full throttle (Floor it), taking control of the car... or making the car blow up with self-destruct.

Now it's just a game and this can be excused, but at the same time I wondered how the hell could you make a car blow up? Then I realize Tesla cars can burn quite viciously, and the mechanisms of opening the door CAN be jammed. The other shit is probably going to be quite possible soon if not already. Meaning we could see high-tech murders happen by people who find weaknesses in car cybersecurity and exploit it to kill their target, and if they cannot trace where the hacker was or how it would be an unsolvable murder...

But that's only if a random ass murderer does it. It wouldn't surprise me if corporations wanted to off someone they didn't like for any reason and that person was driving one of their cars then... yeah, it doesn't take much imagination there, does it?

Maybe it's because I am an elder millenial who never owned a car, but only rented cars when I need them, The most I ever used is google maps (now Osmand... which is the superior Open source option!) to find my way. But I never felt the need for anything else other than blindspot detectors (which don't need to be connected to anything!) to help in lane changing since it makes that task easier. I listen to all my music and stuff on my phone (which is another tracking device I fucking hate) so I don't even bother with the radio.

In short. I would like my automobile to be like what automobiles were... a hunk of metal that is used to travel from point A to point B. This is coming from someone who LOVES technology and I recently took the time to buy a 6000$ desktop because I fucking wanted the most high end machine I could get and I love it. But even I have my limits.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

That's how the CIA killed reporter Michael Hastings for demonstrating american arrogance of McChrystal and his squad of butchers which led to the europeans funding the war on islam a little bit less.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago

I just looked up Michael Hastings on Wikipedia and I find his 'car accident' to be a little too damn suspicious.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

yeah, I work in automotive and "vehicle inhibit" is definatley a feature we have. I could be wrong but I think its actually a legal requirement now to sell in certain jurisdictions (I don't work in that side of the company).

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

So... a hacker CAN make the cyberpunk 2077 quickhack Emergency Break a reality? Well fuck me sideways!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

it can happen easily in future moreover like wireless earbud which can be dos as they use bluetooth which was not build as security in mind , if used in hot countries they can be easily blasted which is enough to kill someone considering the shards will go in the brain . so this can easily be replicated in electronic cars as well . though these earbud manufactures had brain and have a device in earbuds but sometimes that device can also fail , i never used a e car so dont know if they have some type of device in it . but i would love to see a experiment over this

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Israeli terrorism with their pager bombs is something that is already happening, but with those they had some explosive material planted. The thing you are mentioning doesn't require anything dubious to be added and they can work as is. This shit is just scary as hell.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

@Phoenicianpirate @legionguy it is quite implausible too. The battery in your earbuds will at most deform your earbuds and cause ear damage and or hearing loss.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago

Not just hearing loss, your sense of balance will be fucked. So it's double whammy.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

yep. I just with some car company would choose not to do this and advertise the fuck out of it. (looking at you Chrysler you have nothing to lose)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

They still have the Pacifica....

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

uhm, the pacifica doesn't fit this description (source, worked at FCA on this kind of stuff and we put it in the pacifica).

The Dodge Grand Carvan, which was basically unchanged from '08-'19 on the otherhand...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

Sorry, I meant that in response to "they have nothing to lose". They still have one vehicle line, but it was slightly facetious because I don't think they have much if anything else.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago

New report Mozilla said this a year ago I think. Released a privacy report on all car manufactures.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

A lot of you probably already know about this one but here's Mozillas privacy not included blog where they review smart devices/services based on how much data they collect about you. A lot of car manufacturers at the very top of the most creepy ones.

Mozillas privacy not included.

[–] [email protected] 90 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (8 children)

It's also why repair costs an arm and a leg.

It used to be a bumper was just filled with foam, so getting in a fender bender was a pretty cheap fix.

Now a bumper has upwards of $5000 in technology and sensors sitting in it, and a fender bender can often make the car considered "totaled" because the cost to repair is now more than the total resale value of the car.

Get a bike, ride a bus, fuck surveillance capitalism.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Best part is it's $5000 because they get to name their price. These sensors, headlights, etc, cost nowhere near that, but where else are you gonna go get em?

So in a few years when your new car has depreciated to somewhere around 10k and you get a massive repair bill? Well most people are scrapping it and getting another car, convenient for them....

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[–] [email protected] 52 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Mozilla Foundation did a deep dive into this. And the results where abysmal. The only brands not completely horrifying where Renault/Dacia because they are European and only serve the European market so they have to follow GDPR.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago

I am less interested in ranking them based on what they do (because we can assume they just vacuum up everything anyway), and more in a ranking based on how easy the surveillance is to remove. Apparently for some cars the telematics module can be easily unplugged at least, losing you some non-critical functionality, but on others it may be integrated tighter.

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