This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.

[digdilem@mastodon.social]

@funnymonkey Given this prevents software updates, emergency response and may invalidate warrantees - surely informing users so they can exercise buyer choice is a better option?

Or if you must do it, have a toggle switch so you can still enable it for updates.

[sorenladegaard@social.vivaldi.net]

@funnymonkey If the data is (maybe) still saved on a local harddrive in the car what happens to the data when you bring the car in for service and the mechanic "connects it to a computer"?

Cheers from Denmark

[abramkedge@beige.party]

@funnymonkey I imagine we're just a year or two from police having remote stop capabilities along with the ability to pull full location and speed logs from any car

ETA - three months away from being three years car-free, and every year I'm happier with the decision.

[ckd@mas.to]

@digdilem @funnymonkey
I've been riding my 1986 Honda motorcycle and driving my 2013 Miata and for some reason they've never needed a software update...

[dianea@lgbtqia.space]

@funnymonkey

I removed my car's telemetry after I discovered my insurance company and advertisers knew exactly how many miles were on my car and where it was. Only took a minute. Did not affect the navigation GPS, but removed all transmitting.

[patric@sciences.social]

@dianea @funnymonkey which car do you have and how did you go about it? I'd like to do the same but finding internet search difficult to find information.

[kirakira@furry.engineer]

@funnymonkey i have also contemplated this possibility

[dianea@lgbtqia.space]

@patric @funnymonkey

Removing my Toyota's two way telemetry was easy, just locate the sharkfin antenna at the rear, open the hatch, reach up to the roof liner trim, rip it open with a gloved hand with about 5 kilograms of force, and yank the four skinny wires from the antenna. Push the liner back up into the plastic locks. Only the satellite radio and the driver call assist or whatever they call it were affected, neither I have ever used. That took care of all transmitter. GPS antenna for navigation is in the middle of the top dash panel and is only receive and won't be broadcasted through the sharkfin antenna anymore.

Total time, about a minute. Zero broadcasts from the car. Except for the tire's TPMS sensor codes, Bluetooth MAC, etc. Those can be eliminated too, depending what your level of stealth desires.

[jwcph@helvede.net]

@funnymonkey - which is why every country needs to hurry up & throw out those DMCA-based laws that make it illegal to modify our own things. Because you better believe removing surveillance tech from cars is illegal by those laws.

[bureaux@mastodon.social]

@funnymonkey

I’m waiting for instructions on how to strip cars of all the unnecessary stuff. This applies to both software and hardware. Cars that are stripped down to the bare essentials.

Get rid of all those “convenience” features… mirrors, windows, central locking, etc.

Or an alternative manufacturer offering an open-source car in the “Tin Lizzy” style, with various basic modules that are compatible with each other—e.g., batteries, motors, chassis, and bodywork. Easy to hack and modify.

[dzwiedziu@mastodon.social]

@chingalamigra
There is a dangerous GPS bug mentioned in the article. An OTA will probably fix it.

…you'll probably will need to wait another three years for it to drop tho…

@digdilem @funnymonkey

[elvith@nerdculture.de]

@bici @funnymonkey Now I wonder... Say, I borrow a car from my neighbor and drive around a bit. And that car did send telemetry in that time. Maybe he consented, maybe he didn't know, maybe they never asked or he just clicked OK.

Who might be the one on the hook if I were to sue or file a gdpr request for my data? Are car rentals prepared for that scenario? What about a taxi or Uber driver?

[elgrosskotzo@troet.cafe]

@funnymonkey

i predict antisurveillanceremovehardware

[linuxandyarn@hachyderm.io]

@funnymonkey I thought I'd keep my Honda Fit forever, but it was totaled and I wound up with a new CR-V. I'm still trying to find a way to disable the Bluetooth and force Android Auto to run through the cable.

[sunflowerinrain@mastodon.online]

@funnymonkey
Excellent!
Unfortunately my car is on 3-year lease. I'd love to get rid of much of the useless crap on it. The salesguy was so pleased to tell me about all the functionality and gadgets "included At No Extra Cost!!" and shocked when I wanted to refuse them. Sadly, I didn't have a choice.

[naturemc@mastodon.online]

@bureaux This basic model could be a cargo bike. 🤫 @funnymonkey

[bureaux@mastodon.social]

@NatureMC @funnymonkey

...as long as it has no tracking devices on board.

[naturemc@mastodon.online]

@bureaux .... oh ... yes! @funnymonkey

[vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de]

@sorenladegaard @funnymonkey

they can get it, but normally only main dealers have proprietary kit to snag *all* the data and many would only use deeper dives into it for something like denying a warranty claim on a car that has been modified against finance agreement terms.

However its not inconceivable that a lot of data *is* sent up to manufacturers during standard services, as the working of the diagnostic tools used is fairly opaque (even the technicians aren't told exactly how they work, just how to use them!)

But many cars in UK fall out of main dealer network servicing after manufacturer warranty expires and are sent to independent garages for servicing..

[gnoll110@ruby.social]

@funnymonkey

I've been considering if converting a very late model Commodore to EV, is the best why to get a surveillance free EV sedan.