Slashdot Mirror
In China, Your Car Could Be Talking To the Government (apnews.com)
schwit1 shares a report: More than 200 manufacturers, including Tesla, Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Nissan, Mitsubishi and U.S.-listed electric vehicle start-up NIO, transmit position information and dozens of other data points to government-backed monitoring centers, The Associated Press has found. Generally, it happens without car owners' knowledge. The automakers say they are merely complying with local laws, which apply only to alternative energy vehicles. Chinese officials say the data is used for analytics to improve public safety, facilitate industrial development and infrastructure planning, and to prevent fraud in subsidy programs.
But other countries that are major markets for electronic vehicles -- the United States, Japan, across Europe -- do not collect this kind of real-time data. And critics say the information collected in China is beyond what is needed to meet the country's stated goals. It could be used not only to undermine foreign carmakers' competitive position, but also for surveillance -- particularly in China, where there are few protections on personal privacy. Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China has unleashed a war on dissent, marshalling big data and artificial intelligence to create a more perfect kind of policing, capable of predicting and eliminating perceived threats to the stability of the ruling Communist Party.
But other countries that are major markets for electronic vehicles -- the United States, Japan, across Europe -- do not collect this kind of real-time data. And critics say the information collected in China is beyond what is needed to meet the country's stated goals. It could be used not only to undermine foreign carmakers' competitive position, but also for surveillance -- particularly in China, where there are few protections on personal privacy. Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China has unleashed a war on dissent, marshalling big data and artificial intelligence to create a more perfect kind of policing, capable of predicting and eliminating perceived threats to the stability of the ruling Communist Party.
It WILL be used not only to undermine foreign carmakers' competitive position, but also for surveillance
Fixed that for you.
Every day, Slashdot admins shocked to discover that China is a dictatorship.
A real one, not an "OMG, my political opponents won something so oh noes" one.
In USA, Your Card IS Talking To the Government: https://www.forbes.com/sites/t...
In reality, if your vehicle can be reporting on you, the only safe assumption is that it is doing so. It doesn't matter what country you live in, except that some countries may be more likely to abuse the information. Your automaker's EULA certainly gives them the right to sell that data to anyone they like. It might require a token attempt at anonymization, but we all know that can be reversed if you have enough data.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
"...United States, Japan, across Europe -- do not collect this kind of real-time data."
It's kinda cute that you believe that.
signed: The NSA
> But other countries that are major markets for electronic vehicles -- the United States, Japan, across Europe -- do not collect this kind of real-time data.
Sure they do.
ANPR. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Cell site locality/triangulation from the built-in-car phone.
And before anyone says 'real-time', with my aluminium foil hat correctly fitted, Snowdon showed that things are collected...
On the other hand, my insurance company OBD dongle and my RFID toll pass can't keep their yaps shut.
Have gnu, will travel.
I wonder if my car talks to the Mazda dealer. I drove past the dealership going to another place, and when I got back home there was an email saying my car could be overdue for service. This isn't the first time. Am I paranoid?
And the future...is going to be some kind of warped Black Mirror episode with Bryce Dallas Howard, where the government watches all you do, then shuts off your access to loans and whatnot if you don't kowtow and your communist social score drops too low.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
Tesla HAS to collect extensive data on your driving, to use in defense in court when they inevitably get sued for their "self driving" car failing, when it was really your bad driving that caused the accident.
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
If you have a vehicle that has wireless connectivity, it is 100% certain that it's 'phoning home' to either the manufacturer or the government. Guaranteed. Even if, somehow, your car isn't, your gods-be-damned smartphone is reporting your position anyway. Hell, between the two, when you're driving, it's likely providing differential GPS to whoever is collecting the data on you, thus improving the accuracy practically down to mere centimeters.
Does this bother you? It should.
o Locate, disconnect, and dummy-load the wireless connectivity in your car
o Get rid of your smartphone, get a nice cheap dumbphone, and turn it off when you're not using it actively
Now you have some privacy at least.
"But Rick, I'm addicted to my smartphone! How will I check Facebook and Twitter every 5 minutes, or play Candy Crush, or watch movies? I have to be entertained every waking moment or I'll lose my mind!"
Please, humans, grow up already. Or at least read a book when you're bored.
"But Rick, how can I read an e-book without a smartphone or e-book reader?
A paper book, damnit..
Are you kidding me? The TPS security hole is damn easy for the police to exploit, so easy that I'm downright sure most police departments are. It certainly explains my last few speeding tickets.
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
Are you kidding me? The TPS security hole is damn easy for the police to exploit, so easy that I'm downright sure most police departments are. It certainly explains my last few speeding tickets.
Y'all don't know what deflection is? It's like a story about China that suddenly becomes about 'Murrica. It's about Cohen pleading guilty to misleading congress, and Trump saying "Her emails!"
And notice that I did a purposeful example of deflection as well.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
You think Tesla isn't collecting every aspect of your driving?
Tesla is not the government.
What happens when the government comes with a warrant?
Look bozo, we're not concerned about it because we're worried that the mean cops will arrest you for knocking off a liquor store. People who are concerned about this are interested in civic liberties not some kind of moronic anarchism.
When the government has to get a warrant, that is known to be different than if they don't have to have one. It is as simple as that.
In America the government talks to your car.