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BMW to shame out-of-warranty UK drivers with smart billboards

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Re: BMW to shame out-of-warranty UK drivers with smart billboards

#51

Post by koolba »

bluesign wrote: post #37
StavrosK wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think the plate itself is PII, like "158.32.44.25" isn't PII. Tying that to a person is what's PII.

It should be PII, otherwise I can put cameras all over the city, log license plates, and sell service for you to query. I think PII according to GDPR is something you can go back to identify a person.

> It should be PII, otherwise I can put cameras all over the city, log license plates, and sell service for you to query.

This exists and it’s a very profitable business:

https://www.engadget.com/2019-09-17-repo-drivers-scan-licens...

I think it’s about $20 per query to track a known plate.

Re: BMW to shame out-of-warranty UK drivers with smart billboards

#52

Post by leokennis »

whalesalad wrote: post #34

BMW is the most user-hostile car brand there is. They’re constantly seeking ways to squeeze revenue from their owners in slimy ways. (They charge an annual fee for access to car play, for instance)

Eugh. I dread the day my 2010 car needs replacement. It's deliciously dumb: I put petrol in it, and in return, it gets me places.

Re: BMW to shame out-of-warranty UK drivers with smart billboards

#53

Post by gambiting »

StavrosK wrote: post #13
christophilus wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your license plate is public. It’s literally on your car for all to see.

It's not the license plate that's PII, it's whether I've paid my warranty or not.

But BMW provides the warranty - so they know whether they, as in - BMW UK - cover a car with this licence plate or not. They don't need any information about you at all, they have the information they need on their side - so they definitely don't need to ask anyone for permission to access it.

Re: BMW to shame out-of-warranty UK drivers with smart billboards

#55

Post by mannykannot »

floatingatoll wrote: post #24

Either BMW changed their mind or overstated what they’re doing, because they are on-record contradicting this story: https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/bmw-targeted-warra... BMW has told Motoring Research its targeted billboard warranty adverts – which are claimed to use number plate registration technology to tailor public adverts to BMW drivers – do not actually draw upon vehicle warranty status. Rather, onl…

With this announcement, I hope that, by by helpfully bringing to people's attention that information such as the warranty status of your car is publicly available [1], BMW will annoy a broader group of people than just BMW owners.

[1] Assuming that they are not outright lying here when they say "only publically available information is used."

Re: BMW to shame out-of-warranty UK drivers with smart billboards

#56

Post by unilynx »

bluesign wrote: post #20
jamescun wrote: post #6

Would this not be misuse of PII? You own a particular vehicle registration mark as much as you own a particular phone number, and both can reasonably be used to identify an individual (motor database verus telephone database).

It is PII under GDPR for sure.

It sure is if an IP address (with on average probably a shorter lease than a BMW) is considered PII too

Re: BMW to shame out-of-warranty UK drivers with smart billboards

#57

Post by adav »

I used to really like BMWs but they have lost their way in my opinion. Front wheel drive models, charging a subscription for Apple CarPlay, that 4-series grill, increasingly horrific customer service at dealers and foregoing their position as the market leader in handling and dynamics really rub me up the wrong way.

Re: BMW to shame out-of-warranty UK drivers with smart billboards

#58

Post by joefife »

xwdv wrote: post #48
durnygbur wrote: post #14

I remember reading an interview with BMW designer that the obnoxiously huge front grills are a nod to the Chinese customers. Chinese customers wanted the drivers in front of them to feel intimidated, as if the car and driver behind wanted to eat them. Other premium brands like Lexus followed with this trend.

I’m tired of trashy Chinese tastes gaining so much influence in the world.

Now you understand the objection to American influence.

Oddly, the same adjective is frequently used.

Re: BMW to shame out-of-warranty UK drivers with smart billboards

#59

Post by oakfr »

gambiting wrote: post #42
christophilus wrote: post #8

Wow. Straight out of Minority Report. It seems to me that this would violate laws of some kind.

I suspect they will argue that it doesn't violate laws simply because: the licence plate on your car is public knowledge, they are allowed to scan it with a camera, and since they provide warranty on BMW cars, they own the database that says if that specific car is covered or not. They don't even need to access any of your private information to do this, the two pieces needed are either public(the licence plate) or t…

Just because you're crossing public data with data you own does not mean you are not breaking the law.

Re: BMW to shame out-of-warranty UK drivers with smart billboards

#60

Post by DanBC »

christophilus wrote: post #10
jamescun wrote: post #6

Would this not be misuse of PII? You own a particular vehicle registration mark as much as you own a particular phone number, and both can reasonably be used to identify an individual (motor database verus telephone database).

Your license plate is public. It’s literally on your car for all to see.

I don't understand why you think that's relevant to whether it's personal data or not.

Here's what the UK DVL say: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/286454/response/69598...

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/286454/response/69598...

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