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VW breach exposes location of 800k electric vehicles

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Re: VW breach exposes location of 800k electric vehicles

#221

We need a way to disable vehicle telemetry. No, a software switch is not enough. We need to be able to physically unplug the cellular modem entirely and have the vehicle work with 100% functionality (barring features which inherently require cellular connectivity like turning the heating on remotely) Car manufacturers' features are mostly useless anyway thanks to Android Auto/Apple CarPlay

In Europe, this is mandated by law. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECall

Just enable it by default and put a warning in big red letters that disabling the cellular modem will also disable the ECall system, which may mean you might not get the emergency assistance you need and therefore die.

Re: VW breach exposes location of 800k electric vehicles

#222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Europe, this is mandated by law. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECall

Just enable it by default and put a warning in big red letters that disabling the cellular modem will also disable the ECall system, which may mean you might not get the emergency assistance you need and therefore die.

That shouldn't have to be linked. You should be able to turn off manufacturer telemetry while keeping ecall. Ecall doesn't even talk to the manufacturer. It just calls the emergency services directly.

Of course when the modem is on you can't be sure that it's not doing that but that's what we have laws for.

Re: VW breach exposes location of 800k electric vehicles

#224

We need a way to disable vehicle telemetry. No, a software switch is not enough. We need to be able to physically unplug the cellular modem entirely and have the vehicle work with 100% functionality (barring features which inherently require cellular connectivity like turning the heating on remotely) Car manufacturers' features are mostly useless anyway thanks to Android Auto/Apple CarPlay

My solution: Buy an old car...

And in 10 years time what’s your solution?

Re: VW breach exposes location of 800k electric vehicles

#225
post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Earlier today my car thought I was on a 10mph road, I was in a 60 Earlier it said I was on a 30mph road despite being on a 20mph road

This summer Apple Maps believed I teleported 200m into a corn field for long enough it told me to return to the route. The location kept updating, moving in parallel to my real location. What is the speed limit in that field? Would a car suffer from similar problems? Should it continue at the original rate of speed or slam the brakes?

I had that a couple of months ago. Phone was fine when not connected to car play, location bang on. Soon as I plugged it in it moved my location.

Did the same with two other phones. Car play takes the location from the car rather than the phone.

Re: VW breach exposes location of 800k electric vehicles

#226
post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Default Opted Out Opt In should NOT be required to enable features. Features should not be rented, and should be delivered as purchased with the car. Shipped but disabled features that take up additional vehicle weight (relative to lacking the feature) should not be allowed. (This phrasing is precise, to allow for silicon and software enhancements which are not a material change to vehicle manufacturing / design.) Se…

Devils advocate here If this made it more expensive, because having cars that are physically different is harder, would you prefer that? Why can't I simply not care that I don't get something I've not paid for and there's a doodad in the car that's capable of it? If the alternative is having to buy that feature or pay more for a car that doesn't have it, that sounds like a bad outcome.

It's a question of ownership. If I see fit to modify something I own, as has always been done, why am I not free to utilise a particular piece of my purchase?

If I'm not free to do so - then do I actually still own my own product? Or is it now a lease?

Why should the era of rebuilding your car simply end? There are already safety regs you need to comply with. The average hotrod modifies a considerable proportion of the car. Reusing the majority of the structure in ways the manufacturer did not intend.

Re: VW breach exposes location of 800k electric vehicles

#227
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’d love to see that implemented, yes, but it would be even better if all cars' speed were automatically limited to the speed limit of each road.

Dangerous as hell. Imagine there’s a runaway truck behind you and you can’t speed up to avoid or at least soften the collision because of some government enforced handicap. It would also give local governments a power they never had before: To directly control your behavior in the moment, with no judicial control or oversight. No, thank you.

Interval cameras (checking your speed over a length of road, using ANPR) are very effective at slowing traffic in the UK. Although you still get people in expensive cars driving 20mph faster than others; maybe undeterred by fines, or using false plates.

The system can tell you if there was a runaway truck (at your time and location), so an appeal should be easy for that uncommon situation.

Re: VW breach exposes location of 800k electric vehicles

#228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

modern cars are unfortunately much safer

To a large extent this depends on the car and depends what you mean by "old". Modern cars vs. 1970s cars? The older cars are completely hopeless. Modern cars vs. 15 year old cars? The older cars may have had things like ABS and side airbags as options rather than as standard, but you can find one that has them that doesn't have cellular telemetry.

Cars from 2010 with optional ABS? Maybe domestic third world sub-$10k tuna cans?

But the larger point is definitely true.

Re: VW breach exposes location of 800k electric vehicles

#229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I once worked for a firm that had access to credit card transaction data and came across almost this exact scenario. Kindergarten transactions one day, escort payments on another. It was — and still is — creepy. An average Joe like me shouldn't be able to pry into someone's private life like that.

My theory is that most people think about data misuse, perhaps unconsciously, from the viewpoint of your average good person. E.g. "if I got a hold of a stranger's bank information, then I'd be tempted to steal from them." Instead they should think from the perspective of an evil person. E.g. "how can I proactively use whatever data that I can get to hurt someone." For example, at a previous job I went to my managers…

I hate those management arrogance. Reminds me a teacher that amply mocked me in front of the class to have mentioned Light Pollution [0] (I heard about in a youngster science magazine) during a chapter about... "various pollution type"!

Do you have a written record of the conversation?

0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pollution

Re: VW breach exposes location of 800k electric vehicles

#230
post #197
post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would turning on the heating require cell service? If you’re out of key fob range do you really need to pre-heat the car? The only possible use of cell service is for infotainment and even that’s questionable in a world of ubiquitous cell phones.

Schedule heating etc through their app

The car can't keep time? How is the dashboard clock always right?
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