Cars collect a lot of our personal data, and car companies disclose a lot of that data to third parties. It’s often unclear what’s being collected, and what's being shared and with whom. A recent New York Times article highlighted how data is shared by G.M. with insurance companies, sometimes...

Cars collect a lot of our personal data, and car companies disclose a lot of that data to third parties. It’s often unclear what’s being collected, and what’s being shared and with whom. A recent New York Times article highlighted how data is shared by G.M. with insurance companies, sometimes without clear knowledge from the driver. If you’re curious about what your car knows about you, you might be able to find out. In some cases, you may even be able to opt out of some of that sharing of data.

    • grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
      16·
      9 months ago

      I’m ready for the US to restore proper protection for property rights now. It’s absolutely batshit insane that corporations are allowed to have this much control over products after they’re sold to begin with.

    • dinckel@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      9 months ago

      We all know that’s not happening. While people with money have political power over the decisions of ones in office, they will always have the upper hand. That’s how we reached a point where a 2024 car had a paid subscription for the climate control

      • jkrtn@lemmy.mlEnglish
        2·
        9 months ago

        People sleepwalking through life is how we have a climate control subscription. A large enough boycott of all their cars would cure them of malfeasance for several years.

        This is why we have ads on all the streaming services now, and why we have a fuckload of streaming services instead of just one or two. This is why HP thinks they can do ink subscriptions.

        • dinckel@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          9 months ago

          See, that’s the issue. The reason why we have all these streaming services, with nothing on them, is because people just don’t care. They’ll still sub to 8 of them at the same time, just like they’ll get a car from a brand that’s fucked them over before. A boycott implies that people don’t live life on autopilot

  • AMillionMonkeys@lemmy.worldEnglish
    21·
    9 months ago

    Looks like a lot of info is shared through the manufacturer’s app which interacts with the car. Easy to avoid if you don’t install the app.
    What we’re all here looking to avoid is the car itself uploading data. The article isn’t as clear about that, I guess since it depends so much on your exact model of vehicle.

  • Optional@lemmy.worldEnglish
    18·
    9 months ago

    Me: Oh please mister surveillance capitalism, oh please don’t track my personal data please.

    MrSC: heh heh heh. Sure, kid. You got it. thumbs up

      • SupraMario@lemmy.worldEnglish
        31·
        9 months ago

        They know a lot less than you think they do…and none of it is person data. It’s all drivetrain and running diagnostic stuff. Very few cars in 2013 had apps for the vehicles…and pretty much none had them in 2003.

        • DeepChill@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          62·
          9 months ago

          Well, if you think connected apps are the only way cars invade your privacy…. That’s cute, good for you.

          Road speed, accelerator position, brake pedal position, number of seatbelts buckled or not, GPS position and heading, time since key on and probably at least a dozen other parameters I can’t think of off the top of my head are all being recorded. Those certainly are personal data that can and will be used against you in the event of a crash.

          • KnightontheSun@lemmy.worldEnglish
            4·
            9 months ago

            Yes. Telemetry boxes. Most cars have had them for almost twenty years. The cell connection is more modern.

            Telemetric insurance is a thing now.

            • DeepChill@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
              4·
              9 months ago

              Yeah, just ask any Tesla driver who also has Tesla insurance. I’d be screwed HARD as I go to work when it’s still dark out and according to Tesla that makes me a huge risk.

    • SecretSauces@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      9 months ago

      Same. Apparently my car is a “smart phone on wheels”, so they were getting pretty much everything.

  • SpiceDealer@lemmy.worldEnglish
    53·
    9 months ago

    Best ways to circumvent this:

    1. Buy a pre-2000s car. Sure, cars were going high tech before but this was long before IoT became a thing.

    2. Ditch the car all together and get into to cycling and e-bike culture.