Stop new vehicles sending DATA back to the manufacturer

Privacy
1

Hi,
I’ve just sold a 30 year old vihicle, which only had an engine management plus ABS computer.
I now want to buy a newish one, but looking into it, find that they send DATA back to their manufacturer via an inbuilt SIM.

I’ve seen a CAN bus interrogation, whowing that if a phone is connected to the vwhicle, it can send Email and phone numbers of your contacts.

I get the impression that if ‘say’ the GPS is tampered with, then it will give a fault, also may void the warrantees.

What to do?
Cheers, Camerart.

2

The only thing that you can do is either:

A. Buy an offline car.

B. Buy an online car and try to remove the modem.

3

Regardless when you get it serviced they usually dump any recorded data regardless of online vs offline.

Even other places will do this where they don’t necessarily have the specialized tools to a lesser extent.

Quite common for stores to want your VIN to buy a car battery or for an oil change or to patch a tyre.

Stand your ground, give fake info to them, and vote with your wallet if they pushback.
(And please be nice, they are just employees, they don’t make those stupid double dipping policies.)

5 Likes
4

Also for the love of God, please do not ever consent to those insurance programs where they give you an app or an OBD dongle. The $10 a month discount isn’t worth them knowing your driving habits and location history.

7 Likes
5

One more thing, just do basic things yourself, there is no need to always go to mechanics.

3 Likes
6

On some Toyotas pulling a specific fuse will disable a few features, including the phone home element. If you can test drive the car away from the sales rep you might be able to sufficiently experiment with enough YouTube pregame.

This offline element is a frustration.

There are also claims of tracking via a cars wireless TPMS identifiers as well as toll booth transmitters in areas where toll booths are not present. I have not investigated the TPMS issue in some time, but the concept has validity.

7

These are super common for decades now since they’re so much cheaper than ALPR/cameras.

You’ll see them commonly on both highways and in cities.

I had a good paper from I think New Jersey Department of Transportation on a research study regarding it, will try and find it again.

To mitigate it: put your tag in the foil it came in when not actively passing through a toll.

1 Like
8

This may be of interest. In it, they mention Renault being the least problematic brand (although not perfect)

3 Likes
9

In the report they mention this: “The European brand must comply with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)”. My question is, aren’t all European car brand tied to this regulation?

The report mention that they reviewed the 25 major car brands but not sure how Dacia was included and Volvo, Mini or Rivian are out. Personally I’d like to know a bit more about the results and have additional brands included like the smaller ones such as Alfa Romeo and Lancia.

Right now cars are a nightmare privacy, but researches with evidences and extensive work may be the trigger for the impactful change.

10

Hi E,
Wow, what a link, thanks.
C

11

Hi All,
I’m finding this very interesting, and didn’t realise quite what it involved.

I wonder how many of you have ‘modern cars’ with this technology, and if you accept the DATA sharing, or are doing some sort of modifications, to stop it.

I also wonder if any tampering would void any warrantees etc?
C

12

You can’t modify anything, in most cars it’s all baked into the engine electronics these days.
Tampering with that - in many jurisdictions - will void the general type approval so if they find out about it after you had a crash you will lose your insurance coverage and get fined on top.

13
14

Hi V,
Another interesting video, thanks.
I want to buy a car, so I think I’m going to go to some car showrooms, and let them try to sell me a car, then ask about privacy, and they will answer as this thread expects, then I’ll show some disgust and leave. Maybe this may make them think?
C.

15

They will not tell you the truth and how bad it is, don’t expect that from them.

16

The employees at the showroom aren’t the ones in charge of the privacy aspects of the cars.

1 Like
17

Hi L,
I believe everybody, and I believe nobody.
C

18

Hi E,
I know, but they are the point of contact, and if other customers also waste there time, until the DATA leaks crop up and change their minds about the sales, they will slowly get the message.
simple protest.
C

19

I think renting cars is the way here (poison the well)

20

Hi B,
That may be a solution, but once the car goes to your address a few times, they can soon figure out who you are and connect you and the car,
C.