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Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

gizmodo.com

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Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#321

Post by throwaway1777 »

gumballindie wrote: post #222
thorin wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this a US thing? I recently bought a reasonably high end Skoda (which I think would be made in the same factory as VW, SEAT etc). It has a big touch screen in the centre console, but that's really only used for the radio / media / phone calls etc. This is all non essential stuff and so I can deal with it being on a screen. Everything relating to driving is an old skool analogue control. A couple of things I don't…

For me controlling the radio using a touch screen is an issue - i cant take my eyes off the road, and using driving wheel buttons that require fiddling is not great either. I need buttons and dials that leverage muscle memory.

You’re old. Almost no one has that muscle memory anymore. Hell almost no one listens to the radio anymore, people listen to Spotify or podcasts.

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#322

Post by cpursley »

sergiosgc wrote: post #262
tristor wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate them so much. Otherwise great cars are completely ruined by touchscreens. What was wrong with tactile knobs you could operate one handed without looking? You’re driving for fuck’s sake. It’s why things like the GR Corolla are nearly miraculous in 2023, it even comes stick shift only.

As an European, where we drive mostly stick, it's funny to observe the newfound US love for stick shifts. It's funny because it happened almost exactly when automatics became good! Good dual clutch gearboxes are amazing, but even "classic" ones like BMW's ZF6 or ZF8 are really close. ZF8 is so good BMW uses it in the M3, instead of a dual clutch. With these options, I'd never go back to stick shift. This after having…

Manuals suck in traffic. Americans sit in a lot of traffic.

And I say this as somebody who loves manuals (I’m an amateur race car driver).

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#323

Post by alwaysbeconsing »

dylan604 wrote: post #286
nawgz wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I took advantage of the used car market to upgrade my 2021 Subaru to a 2024 (same car, better trim), there's actually MORE physical controls in the 2024 - hope isn't entirely lost!

How did you find a 2024 model car on the used car market?

I think they mean that the used car market gave them a good sale price on their 2021.

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#324

Post by fuzzyset »

charles_f wrote: post #288
lambdasquirrel wrote: post #280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How is that even possible? Without more details about what this means and how it's done, this sounds a bit fishy to me. Did you visit some explicit site without VPN (or at least a private tab)? Bingo. The data brokers will correlate you. Once your data can be correlated, whatever they gather is thrown into the pool. I'll bet that there's some back-scratching going on somewhere. Hey we know all about where John is a…

When it comes to privacy data handling, the term "collecting" is a very specific term that means they are directly collecting it from you, so, unless they use the term in a non standard way, that means they supposedly collect your genetic material and sexual preferences _from you_. Which, erk, but also, how?

Sexual preference and genetic material are very different from sexual activity and genetic data. These privacy polices are always very broad (not saying this is a good thing). The multitude of microphones in cars can easily accidentally (or purposefully) record sex acts. A camera to detect driver awareness (for auto cruise or sleep alarms) can detect your eye color, which could be construed as genetic data. Idk if airbags deploy based on weight on seats (i.e. less powerful for smaller people), but weight data is health data.

I'm not so pessimistic that I think the Toyota techs are swabbing your car and sending it over to 23andMe.

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#325

Post by andreapaiola »

sam_lowry_ wrote: post #23
thfuran wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't.

In some places, this is not an option. I have a mechanical Euro-5 car without sim card nor infotainment system that I would not be able to use where I live by end 2024. Welcome to the EU and its low-emissions zones that span over many of its big cities.

Fake news?

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#326

Post by cpursley »

rolobio wrote: post #180
tristor wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate them so much. Otherwise great cars are completely ruined by touchscreens. What was wrong with tactile knobs you could operate one handed without looking? You’re driving for fuck’s sake. It’s why things like the GR Corolla are nearly miraculous in 2023, it even comes stick shift only.

Touch-screens can be updated later, meaning you can release the broken version first, then get it working after the money starts rolling in. Knobs would require they get it right the first time. The horror! I will never buy a car that forces me to navigate a menu to turn on my windshield wipers...

Problem is, they don’t actually upgrade the touchscreens. At least not after the first couple years. And most consumers don’t/won’t know how to upgrade them.

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#328

Post by dangus »

yafbum wrote: post #231

The article is not very clear about whether this kind of abusive data collection is actually happening and they can prove it, or whether they found the text of the privacy policies to be overly broad. I have no idea how a car would infer my sexual orientation.

Bingo. Lawyers write extremely broad TOS and EULAs but it’s really a mystery whether any of this data is actually being collected. Mozilla can’t see any of the code so they can’t really say what’s going on.

Yes, it’s bad that it’s a mystery and it’s bad that consumers have little control over it. We need more comprehensive national privacy laws.

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#329

Post by jen20 »

hef19898 wrote: post #44
artursapek wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you buy a good used car from the first decade of the 2000s or earlier

Mid 90s, and you can qualify for a historical car registration in Germany (min. age 30 years). Problem is, with all those diesel limitqtions regarding city acces, and classical cars being excempt, there is a discussion going to either get rid of those classic car excemptions or to increase the minimum age to 40 years.

I'd imagine there will be a real problem with this in Germany - at least with Mercedes Benz, cars of the 80s and 90s will dramatically outlast those from the 2000s onwards!

Re: Internet-connected cars fail privacy and security tests conducted by Mozilla

#330

Post by ghaff »

thorin wrote: post #212
cpursley wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The touchscreens are really a dealbreaker on new cars. They’re not just prone to quick obsolescence, they’re dangerous.

Is this a US thing? I recently bought a reasonably high end Skoda (which I think would be made in the same factory as VW, SEAT etc). It has a big touch screen in the centre console, but that's really only used for the radio / media / phone calls etc. This is all non essential stuff and so I can deal with it being on a screen. Everything relating to driving is an old skool analogue control. A couple of things I don't…

Handbrakes were mostly necessary for stickshifts starting on a hill but were kept around on a fair number of automatics even after they were unnecessary. (Though my emergency/parking brake has been a left foot pedal on my automatics for decades.)
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