The Vehicle Privacy Report creates privacy labels under two broad categories: what a manufacturer collects (including identifiers, biometrics, location, data from synced phones, and user profiles) and whom a manufacturer sells or shares data with (affiliates, service providers, insurance firms, government, and data brokers). For the vast majority of cars and trucks released in the past few years, it’s likely that most types of data are collected.
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This thing isn’t new. In fact since car started to become smarter they collect information
Yeah it sucks. Maybe best to have a new car for reliability and a fixed up old car for privacy.
any guides on how to disable it?
I’m guessing for anything detailed that it would be different for each manufacturer, and probably even different for various models or years (bc parts contractors for electronics might change, wiring could be different etc)
generically:
- Never ever pair your phone’s bluetooth with your car unless you are a techie and know how to isolate shit OR you don’t have anything to track on the connected device (e.g. like maybe a 2nd old phone that you bought secondhand with cash and a fake name and you only use to play untraceable audiobooks/podcasts off)
- Probably would need to look into your car’s OnStar or whatever GPS system they bundle in these days, then research how to disable that. If you’re lucky maybe you could disable it by finding the corresponding fuse and leaving that one disconnected… but somehow I think it would not be that easy.
- Not sure what they mean by “biometric” data about you… If it’s fingerprint, you might be able to defeat that with electrical/duct tape or a steering wheel cover but it really depends on if they force you to register to use the car or some shit. Really that kinda goes for other forms of biometric data like voice / retinal too… you’re pretty much at the mercy of how much of an asshole they are about it. e.g. Don’t buy shit that forces you to use it and then you can at least choose not to.
Even then… I doubt there’s a way to kill any tracking data about your driving that gets stored on the car without knowing a good deal about electronics.
But really the best way is like others have said: get an older car (or find one that you can confirm doesn’t do this shit and get that)
I just bought a Tesla. It probably records me taking a shit somehow. It’s just so cool though. Had me thinking if anyone will ever jail break these smart cars.
I think several years ago there was some company that unlocked the car’s full potential for 1/2 of the price of the original update. I don’t remember their name nor what happened to them but they probably got sued
An open source hack I think would be legal. Selling it could violate a few laws. Especially because some of the safe guards are like legal things.
GrapheneOS for Tesla
I’ll be driving my current vehicle for as long as possible. This data harvesting in cars is ridiculous.