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U.S. DOJ demands Apple and Google unmask over 100k users of car-tinkering app

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271–280 of 381 posts

Re: U.S. DOJ demands Apple and Google unmask over 100k users of car-tinkering app

#271

It will start with subpoenaing this information against people who modified their car to do "bad" things. But once they have the precedent, I would predict that it will very quickly be used at the behest of car manufacturers to go after people who modify their cars to, say, disable GPS tracking.

Then go after the people that modify their console, fridge or your phone. Slippery slope is fully lubed

Sony already sent people to prison for developing a way to let users jailbreak their PS3's. And the jailbreak was just to re-enable features that Sony advertised at launch then took away after people bought the consoles.

Re: U.S. DOJ demands Apple and Google unmask over 100k users of car-tinkering app

#272

These vehicle emissions laws are almost always fake compliance theater and were dreamed up by idiots. They are a huge drag on the economy and achieve absolutely nothing. For example, the reason we don’t have super efficient turbodiesel subcompacts that are perfectly legal in the EU is thanks to the so called “Clean” air act. Since the law is based on vehicle weight I can go buy a 8,000 pound truck and commute to work…

A lot of the regulations to do with vehicles in the US are compliance theater.

We have regulations that make cars take more damage in low speed impacts to make them safer for pedestrians, but pickup trucks with a hood line higher than an average adults head are legal.

In many countries in the EU, vehicles will flash either the brake lights or the signal lights when the ABS system activates to help warn the driver behind them. This has been proven to reduce the rate of multi vehicle accidents. That type of system is still illegal for car makers to use in the US.

Other countries had adaptive headlights that reduced glare for oncoming vehicles for years before the US finally allowed it.

Re: U.S. DOJ demands Apple and Google unmask over 100k users of car-tinkering app

#273

Earlier quoted context omitted.

California is rather strict on emissions. Other states don't care. I used to work for my state's version of the DMV and the only public facing page where one could report things was to report people who would not register their cars locally (many people who purchase very expensive cars chose to register them in Montana). There used to be a web page to report license plates that were worn and needed replacing (like th…

Vehicle regulation in the US is piss poor. Here's the full list of states that require all passenger vehicles to be inspected for safety and emissions every year: * New York * Massachussets * Vermont

I wouldn’t say it’s piss poor in the entire US just because it is draconian in those 3 states.

Re: U.S. DOJ demands Apple and Google unmask over 100k users of car-tinkering app

#274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the wikipedia page downplays how often it's used to try to hurt or annoy cyclists, pedestrians, or anyone who looks liberal/foreign. It's not just anti environmentalists who do it, it's a general MAGA thing.

"Try" to hurt? Half-burned diesel particulate is absolutely cancerous, it can enter the bloodstream and cross the blood-brain barrier and they're generating clouds of it, probably thousands of times more than what a modern 18 wheeler puts out in half an hour of driving. And they're doing it to someone breathing hard. If I sprayed some cancerous chemical in someone's face, I'd be arrested within the hour. I'd be on th…

> If I sprayed some cancerous chemical in someone's face, I'd be arrested within the hour. I'd be on the regional news, even.

No you wouldn’t. You’ve just described 2nd hand smoke which you can easily get hit with walking down any sidewalk in the US.

Re: U.S. DOJ demands Apple and Google unmask over 100k users of car-tinkering app

#275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For those, like me, who aren't familiar with the term "rolling coal": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_coal

I think the wikipedia page downplays how often it's used to try to hurt or annoy cyclists, pedestrians, or anyone who looks liberal/foreign. It's not just anti environmentalists who do it, it's a general MAGA thing.

I’m sorry, but while I’m sure there’s a few people on earth who have intentionally done this…to imagine its happening around you all the time vs people being just lazy about issues on their vehicle…is quite frankly lunacy.

It’s always fascinating to run across the MAGA-style conspiracy theories on the far left, they’re ironically very similar.

“I get coal rolled every time in step on my bike!”

Re: U.S. DOJ demands Apple and Google unmask over 100k users of car-tinkering app

#276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never met anyone who properly fixed an emissions problem, and I think that's what GP meant by willful violations. Any car old enough to have emissions problems isn't worth enough to fix properly, so you cheat it by doing things like buying a spacer for the O2 sensor. Personally I'd be shocked if emissions inspections had a significant effect on total vehicle emissions, and I think that the most effective thing…

I'm just one person, but I replaced the catalytic converters on my FJ Cruiser so it would pass the emissions test

How old was the car? Was the old one faulty? Thinking of getting an FJ but not sure the thought is coming from a sensible place.

Re: U.S. DOJ demands Apple and Google unmask over 100k users of car-tinkering app

#277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why should that be required? Let people do as they will and impose penalties for problematic behavior (including negligence). I lived in a state with safety inspections and AFAICT it was little more than yet another disproportionate speed bump for the poor and a complete waste of time for society at large. I do see the merit of inspecting larger trailers (such as for boats) once a year given the combined increased li…

I live in a country with mandatory (mostly-)yearly car inspections (and all other motor vehicles). Many time you don't even know that there's an issue and they only find it during the inspection. Handbrake works only on one side, normal brakes don't work properly on one of the wheels, there's play in one of the joints or tie rods, etc. You park, pull the handbrake, you have no idea that if you parked on an incline, y…

I was sold incorrect tyres once, picked up in the inspection. Why wouldn't I want to know?

Re: U.S. DOJ demands Apple and Google unmask over 100k users of car-tinkering app

#278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the wikipedia page downplays how often it's used to try to hurt or annoy cyclists, pedestrians, or anyone who looks liberal/foreign. It's not just anti environmentalists who do it, it's a general MAGA thing.

I’m sorry, but while I’m sure there’s a few people on earth who have intentionally done this…to imagine its happening around you all the time vs people being just lazy about issues on their vehicle…is quite frankly lunacy. It’s always fascinating to run across the MAGA-style conspiracy theories on the far left, they’re ironically very similar. “I get coal rolled every time in step on my bike!”

Happens to me every time the car rental place gives me a hybrid.

Re: U.S. DOJ demands Apple and Google unmask over 100k users of car-tinkering app

#279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless you want push notifications.

Then you can sandbox

Their app is still running all the time. I do not know what exactly it is collecting, but I'm sure it sends a lot of information to Google. Even just the fact that Google knows my IP (which is otherwise dynamically assigned) at any time is too much.

On the other hand, if you try selectively enabling and disabling the service, the push notifications stop working. LineageOS + MicroG is a much better solution if you only need them occasionally and if you prefer an app which does not actively (try to) spy on you.

Re: U.S. DOJ demands Apple and Google unmask over 100k users of car-tinkering app

#280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in Texas, and I get coal rolled multiple times a year while I'm riding my bike. One asshat actually hit my shoulder with his extended mirror. After that, I started using my GoPro as a dashcam since I wasn't able to get the asshat's license plate number.

Man I got hit so many times as a cyclist in TX and GA. It took me awhile to realize that in GA, it was sometimes intentional. I hadn't realized how much bicyclists were disliked.

There’s something about driving cars, particularly larger ones which induces extreme violence in people. These same people wouldn’t kill you in a fist fight but would do it with their cars without a thought.
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