- cross-posted to:
- privacy@lemmy.ca
- cross-posted to:
- privacy@lemmy.ca
cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1432229/your-car-is-a-smartphone-on-wheels-a-team-of-researchers-tested-21-vehicles-and-found-th
Data sent by vehicles and companion apps included locations, VINs, and other identifiers. Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft were among the top receivers of driver data.
We just bought a new car this year (Kia) and I completely confused the sales lady when I told her we were not going to use the “connect app” or activate connect on the car itself. She was like “lets get you setup in connect” and I was “no thanks”
We have a nice 🚫 symbol with a radio tree behind it, so I 100% know the car is still connected to the cell network but it is not registered/connected to us, and no app installed.
Sure, we lose some functionality (remote start, and access to in-car wifi) but all of that is paid subscriptions. Sure they first x months are ‘free’ but after you gotta pony up $ to continue.
Note: I’m under no illusion tracking is just not happening for us now… I just want to make it harder where I can.
My wife just got a newer car last week so I’m asking you because you know more than I.
We never connected a phone to it but the GPS worked right off the bat. Do cars have standalone GPS now? As long as we don’t connect a phone, it can’t reach the internet, right?
Cars had standalone GNSS (GPS) for quite a while. GNSS itself doesn’t require internet. It’s output is coordinates and elevation - it’s the “gotta have internet to load the map in which I’ll show you the coordinates” that makes people associate GNSS with internet.
Unless it has local maps like mine that are now a decade out of date. It’s completely useless now but i refuse to pay several 100 for the update.
If it’s a decade out of date, it may be old enough that the maps live on a DVD or SD card, in which case you might be able to get updated maps for free. Yarr!