How to Figure Out What Your Car Knows About You (and Opt Out of Sharing When You Can)

ForgottenFlux@lemmy.world to Technology@lemmy.world – 268 points – How to Figure Out What Your Car Knows About You (and Opt Out of Sharing When You Can)
eff.org

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.

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Ok I’m ready for the US to implement proper data protection laws now

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.

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

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.

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

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.

My car is a 2013, my truck is a 2003, they don't know shit.

They know a lot, potentially, just don't have a cell connection.

I don't know whether the maintenance process involves any download and transfer of data to the manufacturer, though I imagine that it could.

If they have airbags and ABS they know a shitload more than you think.

I don’t think most older vehicles have any internet connection, regardless of what safety equipment they have. Or am I wrong?

Depends on how old, but OnStar has been around since before 2000.

Early implementations may have been less creepy, but I'm not sure there's any way to know.

Depends on the vehicle. Mine is mid-2010s but no internet connection to my knowledge—unless they’ve been paying for it in secret without telling me. Doesn’t seem especially likely.

Mime is from 2016 and does. There's no outward indication (the smartest thing exposed to the driver is Sirius XM), but the salesman told me it could be located in the event of theft, and it has microphones in it.

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.

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.

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

Telemetric insurance is a thing now.

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.

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

If I understand correctly, none of this is legally enforceable anyways.

Fuck it, just rip the antennae out. The only wireless connection a car needs these days is Bluetooth, and there's workarounds for that.

Thanks I opted out via the eff links to my car manufacturer.

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

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.

Not possible for people that commute miles/km to work

Not with that attitude and those wimpy legs.

Some people are required to wear a suit and not smell like a pig, after a bike ride of 25miles to work would do.

MY car doesn't know shit, I was shocked to find out it has the hardware for keyless entry.

Even if your car can't have your data, your insurance will. And they will use it against you.