this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2024
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Privacy

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I wanted to get others' takes but it seems like the only real way to get a non-spying car is to get an older car without any sort of telemetrics. I saw a video about different car companies' security policies, well specifically the new Mental Outlaw video, and it just blew me away how even our cars aren't safe. Anyone got tips for how to anonymize their car?

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[–] [email protected] 55 points 3 months ago (4 children)

The problem with the "just buy old cars" is that I want a used electric car for like $10k.

We need a wiki of EVs that.has a section on each model enumerating which components are used to spy on you and videos showing how to neuter them.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago (2 children)

The best privacy from an EV is an electric bicycle

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Well, would be nice to be able to haul drywall and not get wet. There are some projects for this, but they're a bit immature and documentation is lacking

https://openmotors.co

[–] [email protected] -3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You can haul a lot of weight by bike, especially if you use a trailer. How often do you really haul things? Just rent a panel van on days you want to move shit.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

I live on a bicycle, but I'm going to be building a house soon, which is why I was looking at buying an EV.

An EV van has the same privacy issues, and we're back at square 1

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (2 children)

And then they'll add the same tracking to them too.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

My ebike comes with a GPS tracking app to locate it. Luckily it's optional but it's already begun

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Not all. Bosch equipped ebikes send name/address when they get serviced.neither rad nor aventon have systems smart enough to record data at all. I dont think shimano ebikes are smart either.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I'm saying in the future.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yeah with EVs it seems like improving the privacy would be a pain, since they are reliant on parts of the digital system that is causing the privacy problem in the first place. I'm planning on sticking with a gen 3 Prius for awhile.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Are you sure the gen3 Prius doesn't have these sensors and privacy issues? I had a gen2 Prius and that thing had loads of sensors everywhere.

I ask because I'm seriously considering buying a gen3 Prius. Do you have any resources you can link me to where researches actually did an audit of this car to see what info it collected and what was uploaded to Toyota or the mechanics?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I don't really know much about that except for the fact that it does not have any form of a digital transponder that actively sends data it could be storing it though. Here is a site about vehicle privacy where I just looked up a random gen 3 Prius vin. (https://vehicleprivacyreport.com/report/?vin=%20JTDKN3DU1A000806#)

[–] __init__ 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

We need a wiki of EVs that.has a section on each model enumerating which components are used to spy on you and videos showing how to neuter them.

I have been thinking we need something like this but for all new vehicles, not just EVs. Like instructables but for how to locate and rip out the cellular radio/antenna on every make and model that has one.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Definitely. But its more complicated than that.

My understanding is that many cars store the information airgapped and then upload it to the dealer when the mechanic pluggs into the car doing routine service checks.

So we need the wireless/radio neutering, but also someone needs to hook up to the car and see if/what data can be leaked via hard wire. And possibly find ways to disable the sensors, send random/nonsense data, update the software to not store sensitve data, automatically wipe the data every time the car turns on, or at least document how to manually wipe the data when you pull into the shop for maintenance.

[–] __init__ 4 points 3 months ago

Oof, yeah, didn’t think about that. Much more complicated.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Exactly. Like I got a new android phone last week and I want to make it more.private. I want be afraid of making mistakes. Any mistake I can do can be undone.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yeah fortunately there's tons of info on the internet on how to security harden phones. Its down to a science

Hardening cars is wild west right now.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago

Hardening cars is wild west right now.

The cars should not need to be hardened. That is what needs to stop, imo!!