Seems pretty neat. Not saying this is foolproof, but I definitely think a software ‘Airplane Mode’ on cars should be a default feature for all cars. Of course, this is pretty drastic. I bet this also disables OTA updates.
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All cars should have this. As far as updates go, surely you should be able to update from your phone? If not, that should also be a standard feature.
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Or even with an USB key. This would be the best: get the update without any chance of info being sent.
I am not sure about the answer to your question.
It sounds to me like this is more akin to the Cellular Data toggle on Android as opposed to Aeroplane mode. If that is the case, it will presumably not prevent your vehicle from connecting to cellular base stations, which means your vehicle will still be trackable by network operators.
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Absolutely. Although they did say you can request the eSIM to be deactivated.
Still above and beyond what’s possible with any other car I’m aware of. This probably makes Rivian instantly the most private auto maker on the market right?
Although sounds like it’s Canada only for the easy toggle, everywhere else requires a service appointment.
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A SIM, eSIM, or otherwise is not required for a device to connect to cellular base stations, not least because legislation requires emergency calls to be possible without a SIM card.
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Yes, but then it wouldn’t connect unless an emergency call is made. At least that’s how it should work.
That is not how it works; your device will connect regardless, you just won’t get service without a valid SIM.
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Well, why would it ? At least theoretically, there is no reason for it to be always on, except perhaps latency reasons on first boot.
That being said, I wonder if they do keep it always on, does ISPs store some kind of IDs that can be linked to you?
I agree with this take. Rivian seems to be setting itself apart by letting users disable internet connectivity, even if it means losing some features. That’s something you don’t really see from other automakers.
A major concern for consumers is how much data cars collect, like cameras, habits and even voice interactions. This kind of tracking has become normalized, often without clear opt-outs. Rivian offering a way to turn it off gives it some credit.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s not a perfect solution though. I think @phnx is correct, disabling connectivity doesn’t completely prevent tracking, since location could still be inferred through cellular networks triangulation, likely by telecom providers rather than the car company itself. I see this been used in rare cases where police enforcement would be chasing someone.
Overall, this still puts Rivian ahead of most competitors when it comes to giving users real control over their privacy.
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I have asked mozilla to review Rivian in their Privacy Not Included website. Hopefully this allows us to have a broader picture.
Overall, we need this to be the legal baseline for all cars. Then brand could distinguish themselves with hardware switches. Though as has been said, the legal requirements for tracking users are becoming fiercer. The best we can expect is minimise those obligations to only be used as the law mandates (eg. emergency call, gaze tracking in the EU)
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Because ostensibly it needs to to be ready to make emergency calls, but regardless of a true need that is just how all cellular modems actually work.
I’ve been considering getting a Rivian for other reasons, and this makes me want to buy one more. I currently have a Tesla.
However, I noticed in Mozilla’s review that it says that you can also contact Tesla to disable connectivity. So maybe Rivian and Tesla are equal here?
However, if you no longer wish for us to *collect vehicle data or any other data from your Tesla vehicle, please contact us to deactivate connectivity.
*
Tesla | Privacy & security guide | Mozilla Foundation
Tesla has a lot of options to disable data sharing, but it also has some integration with Grok AI and it’s not clear to me that disabling the data sharing has also kept the data away from Grok. The Mozilla article also questions whether we can trust Tesla given past mishandling of customer data.