How the most popular cars in the US track drivers

> What data could it transmit that I or anyone cares about?

The question is what data does it need to transmit. The answer is none. Rear cameras and tracking are entirely unrelated, though I'm sure car manufacturers will try to convince us tracking is essential for a camera to function. They'd try to convince us tracking is essential for windshield wipers, if those weren't around since long before tracking.

> Most people don’t matter, and chances are there’s absolutely no novel or interesting data gathered.

Spoken like someone who never had to worry about politics, and whose current political system is only free of corruption and tyranny (to some extent) thanks to the actions of people who did have something to hide. Actions your attitude makes much harder.

It's like pollution. One day you or someone will find some information of public interest, for example a spy agency targeting dissidents, an industrial farm illegally using antibiotics to speed growth while antibiotic-resistant bacteria decimate hospital patients, or a million other such things. You'll try to leak it anonymously to the press, because the international conglomerate you work for could retaliate, but you'll realize you can't so much as back out of your driveway without ten cameras recording your face and of everyone around you and selling your network of contacts to ten different information brokers, that then sell it on to governments or private security forces. You can't get within a mile of a journalist without that being recorded somewhere.

Contacting anyone with your phone is even worse - because you've set up your phone with "nothing to hide" in mind.

It’s becoming impossible to practice what you preach when it comes to data privacy. ‘Don’t like it, don’t buy it’ is difficult to execute unless you don’t mind not having a car, mobile phone, tv, browse the internet or even go out in a public place.

There needs to be regulation and at least the ability to at least easily opt out of any of this insanity, but until there’s one (or probably many) widespread data-breaches related to this total abuse of power, so I suspect we’re at least a decade off that, if it even happens at all.

Edit: location Australia, where political power is toothless due to the small scale of our country. Maybe we can fall in-line with GDPR or something someday, but currently there’s almost no discourse related to privacy (yet everyone is losing their minds over tiktok)

Hmm I can see that being a thing. I’d find it annoying. I don’t feel like I see the trend in my locale.

I do like that the camera makes lining up cars easier (if you’re competent and care) I get these lines that curve when my wheels are turned. And I use them to line up with the space. It actually makes backing in feel nicer… makes me look like I know what I’m doing….

Or am I the person you’re talking about! ;)

If you have a HGV or a bus, i understand why you would need a rearview camera. Or with an utility vehicle with high or now windows. I doubt that's what OP is driving though, i would guess he has a normal car and does not need to do heavy duty.

When i'm driving my father's utility vehicle, i can only use my side mirrors, so i'm extra careful, but with any normal car i ever drove, even large one like a Xantia, i don't see how i could have missed anybody who can move on two legs.

The only time I've used a rearview camera was on my SO "new beetle", and we both find it quite useless (i was seeing better turning my head).

Why would you you “safety” features in quotes?