Automakers Are Sharing Consumers' Driving Behavior With Insurance Companies (nytimes.com) 229
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: Kenn Dahl says he has always been a careful driver. The owner of a software company near Seattle, he drives a leased Chevrolet Bolt. He's never been responsible for an accident. So Mr. Dahl, 65, was surprised in 2022 when the cost of his car insurance jumped by 21 percent. Quotes from other insurance companies were also high. One insurance agent told him his LexisNexis report was a factor. LexisNexis is a New York-based global data broker with a "Risk Solutions" division that caters to the auto insurance industry and has traditionally kept tabs on car accidents and tickets. Upon Mr. Dahl's request, LexisNexis sent him a 258-page "consumer disclosure report," which it must provide per the Fair Credit Reporting Act. What it contained stunned him: more than 130 pages detailing each time he or his wife had driven the Bolt over the previous six months. It included the dates of 640 trips, their start and end times, the distance driven and an accounting of any speeding, hard braking or sharp accelerations. The only thing it didn't have is where they had driven the car. On a Thursday morning in June for example, the car had been driven 7.33 miles in 18 minutes; there had been two rapid accelerations and two incidents of hard braking.
According to the report, the trip details had been provided by General Motors -- the manufacturer of the Chevy Bolt. LexisNexis analyzed that driving data to create a risk score "for insurers to use as one factor of many to create more personalized insurance coverage," according to a LexisNexis spokesman, Dean Carney. Eight insurance companies had requested information about Mr. Dahl from LexisNexis over the previous month. "It felt like a betrayal," Mr. Dahl said. "They're taking information that I didn't realize was going to be shared and screwing with our insurance." In recent years, insurance companies have offered incentives to people who install dongles in their cars or download smartphone apps that monitor their driving, including how much they drive, how fast they take corners, how hard they hit the brakes and whether they speed. But "drivers are historically reluctant to participate in these programs," as Ford Motor put it in apatent application (PDF) that describes what is happening instead: Car companies are collecting information directly from internet-connected vehicles for use by the insurance industry.
Sometimes this is happening with a driver's awareness and consent. Car companies have established relationships with insurance companies, so that if drivers want to sign up for what's called usage-based insurance -- where rates are set based on monitoring of their driving habits -- it's easy to collect that data wirelessly from their cars. But in other instances, something much sneakier has happened. Modern cars are internet-enabled, allowing access to services like navigation, roadside assistance and car apps that drivers can connect to their vehicles to locate them or unlock them remotely. In recent years, automakers, including G.M., Honda, Kia and Hyundai, have started offering optional features in their connected-car apps that rate people's driving. Some drivers may not realize that, if they turn on these features, the car companies then give information about how they drive to data brokers like LexisNexis. Automakers and data brokers that have partnered to collect detailed driving data from millions of Americans say they have drivers' permission to do so. But the existence of these partnerships is nearly invisible to drivers, whose consent is obtained in fine print and murky privacy policies that few read. Especially troubling is that some drivers with vehicles made by G.M. say they were tracked even when they did not turn on the feature -- called OnStar Smart Driver -- and that their insurance rates went up as a result.
According to the report, the trip details had been provided by General Motors -- the manufacturer of the Chevy Bolt. LexisNexis analyzed that driving data to create a risk score "for insurers to use as one factor of many to create more personalized insurance coverage," according to a LexisNexis spokesman, Dean Carney. Eight insurance companies had requested information about Mr. Dahl from LexisNexis over the previous month. "It felt like a betrayal," Mr. Dahl said. "They're taking information that I didn't realize was going to be shared and screwing with our insurance." In recent years, insurance companies have offered incentives to people who install dongles in their cars or download smartphone apps that monitor their driving, including how much they drive, how fast they take corners, how hard they hit the brakes and whether they speed. But "drivers are historically reluctant to participate in these programs," as Ford Motor put it in apatent application (PDF) that describes what is happening instead: Car companies are collecting information directly from internet-connected vehicles for use by the insurance industry.
Sometimes this is happening with a driver's awareness and consent. Car companies have established relationships with insurance companies, so that if drivers want to sign up for what's called usage-based insurance -- where rates are set based on monitoring of their driving habits -- it's easy to collect that data wirelessly from their cars. But in other instances, something much sneakier has happened. Modern cars are internet-enabled, allowing access to services like navigation, roadside assistance and car apps that drivers can connect to their vehicles to locate them or unlock them remotely. In recent years, automakers, including G.M., Honda, Kia and Hyundai, have started offering optional features in their connected-car apps that rate people's driving. Some drivers may not realize that, if they turn on these features, the car companies then give information about how they drive to data brokers like LexisNexis. Automakers and data brokers that have partnered to collect detailed driving data from millions of Americans say they have drivers' permission to do so. But the existence of these partnerships is nearly invisible to drivers, whose consent is obtained in fine print and murky privacy policies that few read. Especially troubling is that some drivers with vehicles made by G.M. say they were tracked even when they did not turn on the feature -- called OnStar Smart Driver -- and that their insurance rates went up as a result.
Time for a class action lawsuit (Score:5, Insightful)
This shit has to stop now. It's one thing to opt-in to something like this. It's completely invasive in any other circumstance.
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two options.
1. find some aspect of privacy in the legal code or one of the agreements you have with the automaker
2. convince your state or federal legislature to create a new law that protects your rights.
Because right now, there are not enough judges that would interpret the Constitution in a way that will benefit individual rights of consumers over the smooth operation of insurance and marketing industries.
Re: Time for a class action lawsuit (Score:4, Informative)
The Constitution doesn't do anything to address individual contractual agreements. Nor should it. If the Constitution went into details like that it would be highly inflexible.
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But really, even the most "originalist" court has to take some creative interpretation of the Contract Clause in the Constitution, as it pretty much expressly limits the States from legislation that impairs the obli
Re: Time for a class action lawsuit (Score:2)
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The key problem about the constitution is that it only concerns itself with the state not being allowed to eliminate the privacy of a person.
Back when it was created, the idea that a corporation (which, technically, didn't even exist in that form yet) could do so was unfathomable. Maybe it's time we adapt this, since today, it very much is so.
Re:Time for a class action lawsuit (Score:5, Insightful)
Sue GM and then what? They'll do a little less surveillance? Do you really think it's gonna stop - as in, a judge orders GM to rip out the 4G connection in their cars?
The corporate surveillance economy is a game a whack-a-mole: they all try to do as much data pilfering and monetizing as they can, until they get caught. There's a bit of a outrage for a while, perhaps a lawsuit or two, the company settles, then it blows over and it's back to business as usual.
Watch how people will get outraged over this, then continue driving...
Re:Time for a class action lawsuit (Score:4)
Watch how people will get outraged over this, then continue driving...
Yeah the sheeple are such fucking morons to need to be able to earn money to make rent and eat. WAKE UP SHEEPLE.
The US has been completely captured by car companies for many decades now to the point where living without a car is nigh on impossible in many places. They invented new pro car, anti pedestrian laws, heavily advertised to convince people a car dependent existence was desirable and heavily lobbied to have such a thing enforced in law. And they destroyed a fair amount mass in order to sell more cars.
You can't just "not drive" in most parts of America now.
And now, because this reality is determined to be the most stupid ever invented, attempts to unwind all that shit have got wrapped up in the incredibly stupid culture war as well.
Re: Time for a class action lawsuit (Score:5, Insightful)
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Watch how people will get outraged over this, then continue driving...
People in the most car dependent country in the world having no choice but to continue using said cars if they want to function in society, continue using them despite the abuses they cause? I'm shocked I tell you! Shocked! /s
This is the problem with rapists. They feel entitled to cause the suffering of others. Even worse they'll use any excuse, (bbbut we have a contract!) that they can to justify their abuse and how it's completely the fault of their victims. Fuck them. If they need to have their sacred
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Government has NOTHING to do with de facto as opposed de jure monopolies. Monopolism is the natural consequence of Capitalists. As Adam Smith said.
In a market that is completely unregulated, monpolism happens. We tried to counter that with regulation and anti-monopoly laws. Corruption happened when regulation and government capture via the Donor Class stepped in the way.
And you won’t even get your product licensed for legal road use without Federal DOT approval. So yeah, Government has a lot to do with it.
Re: Time for a class action lawsuit (Score:3)
Re: Time for a class action lawsuit (Score:4, Insightful)
Find the spyware in your motor_vehicle and disable it = problem solved
*looks at ‘spyware’ app loaded by the car owner/app junkie on their own phone voluntarily*
Found it.
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just remove the 4G module...
Re: Time for a class action lawsuit (Score:5, Insightful)
Disabling the antenna also disables about two dozen dozen other features such as navigation, monitored security, and preconditioning.
Demanding sensible oversight of the social contract is not giving in to the nanny state.
Re: Time for a class action lawsuit (Score:4, Insightful)
Yes, disabling antenna fixes the problem. Too bad so many want the nanny state to do it for them, rather than taking action with their own screwdriver.
Too bad the government allows corporations to get away with things like "if your car disappears from our surveillance network we'll cripple it in some way while simultaneously ratting you out to your insurance company". Too bad the government might ALSO allow insurance companies to say "no tracking capability in your car means no insurance for you".
What we're talking about needing here is not a "nanny state". What we're talking about is the need for a responsible-to-its-constituents government that stops corporations from abusing citizens in the manner described.
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What we're talking about needing here is not a "nanny state". What we're talking about is the need for a responsible-to-its-constituents government that stops corporations from abusing citizens in the manner described.
The only way this happens in America is if a group of citizens manages to throw enough lobbying money into a fund that it gets the government to take some form of notice of their needs. Guess what happens when you set up a lobbying group to do this? You're gonna need some consultants that are already wise to the lobbying game. And those consultants will ramp up the corruption as you spin up your "constituent first" lobbying fund so that by the time you actually have enough backing to get notice, it's just a
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... by the time you actually have enough backing to get notice, it's just another industry-backed lobby saying, "Do whatever you want corporations, we'll be here to make sure the government doesn't get in the way."
Reminds me a bit of the situation with unions. Maybe it's just a fundamental characteristic of human social organizations and hierarchies, in which case we're stuck with it. :-(
Re: Time for a class action lawsuit (Score:3)
We need a powerful lawmakers spouse or child to get nailed by this - then *maybe* something will happen.
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This shit has to stop now. It's one thing to opt-in to something like this. It's completely invasive in any other circumstance.
Correct me if I’m wrong here, but I’m pretty sure if you tell that app junkie to resist the urge to download Car Precious and blindly opt in via the EULA no one reads, that “shit” will stop. Easily.
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On the other, it's pretty amusing to see someone get stuck with higher insurance for being a shit driver.
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If you think your premiums would go down because of that, you're delusional.
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Always a pleasure to see someone understand UM/UiM. Most do not. Provides a lot of context for the stupid insurance discussions that miss the bottom line.
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Old-school automakers strike again. It always goes like this. People project what old-school automakers actually are doing onto Tesla.
Tesla offers insurance, as an option, sign-up only, for people who want their data to be used in exchange for a potential discount? F*** YOU! But then mainstream automakers just sell your data without your consent, for THEIR exclusive profit.
Tesla offers nuanced data-collection options for users to choose what to share and not share? F*** YOU! But then old-school automakers
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So Tesla's just going to pool all your data and do nothing with it until you give them the OK to start freewheeling with it. Tesla's just going to leave that money on the table while their competitors gorge themselves.
Thanks, also, for clarifying that Tesla only offers a small handful of subscription offers, at reasonable prices (please, tell me about their financing). So refreshing compared to other automakers, with their large handfuls. Tesla truly has my interests at heart.
Politicians might be an analogy
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Who said anything about Tesla, the parent you're replying to didn't.
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This shit has to stop now. It's one thing to opt-in to something like this. It's completely invasive in any other circumstance.
LOL, it is already too late. We are a fascist State now. There is nothing you can do. If we weren't a fascist State, it never would have come to this.
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All the automated ticketing cameras in cities have really made me want to go there and spend money. Every weekend I make sure to exercise that right not to patronize.
Then people wonder why things suck there.
And this is why (Score:3, Insightful)
I really want to buy an EV, but I'll keep my 20 year old diesel that doesn't spy on me.
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Re:And this is why (Score:5, Insightful)
No. I'm onboard with that.
Care to tell me where it is?
Also, how are you certain the car will not put itself in "safe" mode or disable itself after it hasn't been able to contact the mothership for long enough?
I don't want to play hide-and-seek with intrusive automakers. I want to buy a bona fide car that treats its owner with respect instead of selling them out.
Re:And this is why (Score:4, Insightful)
No. I'm onboard with that.
Care to tell me where it is?
Also, how are you certain the car will not put itself in "safe" mode or disable itself after it hasn't been able to contact the mothership for long enough?
I don't want to play hide-and-seek with intrusive automakers. I want to buy a bona fide car that treats its owner with respect instead of selling them out.
Well, I think what you’re also implying here is if the “mothership” (or the network to it) were to ever go down/offline, then the car would automatically go into some form of “safe” mode?
I really don’t think automakers would take on that kind of risk, requiring 99.999% of uptime in order to sustain the product like that. Or at least they better not. $45K+ average price is bad enough. Buying something that can get bricked like that? No thanks.
Also, if offline is considered “safe” mode, maybe that should be the preferred mode. It’s a car after all.
Re:And this is why (Score:5, Insightful)
Manufacturers have taken a pretty "who gives a crap" stance on many very basic things we would not have thought ever possible in the 90s.
Did you catch the Boeing situation by any chance? Some of the self driving car shenanigans are also quite interesting.
As long as there is a net profit, a lawsuit or two can be chalked up as cost of doing business. A death or two don't make some MBAs lose any sleep as long as the bottom line is in the black.
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Manufacturers have taken a pretty "who gives a crap" stance on many very basic things we would not have thought ever possible in the 90s.
Yes. I’ve labeled that Corporate Arrogance.. It’s only gotten worse with every mega-corp growing well beyond any monopoly accusation or anti-monopoly regulation. They screw consumers now because 99% of consumers don’t give a shit enough to change behavior.. So it becomes acceptable,and eventually “normal” to abuse consumers.
Did you catch the Boeing situation by any chance? Some of the self driving car shenanigans are also quite interesting.
Yes, I unfortunately did happen to catch the latest on Boeing. Unfortunately, a whistleblower dying via Epstein syndrome makes the Arrogance argument that
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> I’ve labeled that Corporate Arrogance..
Corporate rapist mentality.
Re: And this is why (Score:2)
Has it ever occurred to you that corporations are just better than us, and thus deserve to drive out or enslave their inferior predecessors?
A person, to a corporation, is like a twitching disembodied finger to a hand or a neuron to a brain. What can a finger do with the freedom to disobey the rest of the nervous system? That is correctly recognized as dyskinesia, but somehow we have an "inalienable right" to personal irresponsibility which is the same thing.
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Nissan Leafs are known to work just fine without the telematics. In fact Nissan send out letters last month telling people that due to 2G switch-off, their older cars would no longer have any connected features.
Chances are that most other cars do, even Teslas. For safety reasons they have to be driveable even if the mothership isn't responding, or the infotainment crashes mid-drive.
We would quickly find out if any manufacturer was dumb enough to brick the car if it couldn't communicate, because someone in a
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I don't want to play hide-and-seek with intrusive automakers. I want to buy a bona fide car that treats its owner with respect instead of selling them out.
Nobody who can do anything about this cares about what you want. They want to ensure their profits. They will ensure their profits. It does not matter what happens to you or what you think. You are ephemeral, the State is forever.
Welcome to the world of the Real.
Re: And this is why (Score:2)
Maybe some people like their satnav or XM radio. Shouldn't have to rip apart your own car to not be spied upon.
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Dupe (Score:4, Insightful)
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This has been going on forever, nothing will ever be done about it. Once in a while, I get it, but 3-4 a week, thats just not paying attention.
It's probably nothing so insidious (Score:3)
The Bolt is just somewhat expensive to insure because insurers believe it is likely to catch fire and don't seem to take whether the battery has already been swapped into account. I recently bought one of the recalled ones used that had a new battery installed. Yeah, it's more expensive to insure than my previous car, but the gas savings more than makes up the difference.
Oh, also, this story is a front page dupe. [slashdot.org] Maybe /. needs to team up with LexisNexis for some telemetry data on their own site.
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Nah, the automakers are also sharing stories with slasdot "editors"
Car wraps (Score:3)
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A wrap probably won't do what you want, but that's the right idea. If you don't already own a spectrum analyzer, now is the time.
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Re: Car wraps (Score:2)
https://m.media-amazon.com/ima... [media-amazon.com]
Is this just GM? (Score:4, Informative)
I wonder what other auto makers are doing this. Next to CarPlay/Android Auto, having my car not constantly tattle on me is a major decision-breaker, and GM's decisions is definitely ensuring that I will definitely be passing them by for my next vehicle.
Don't forget the security implications of this massive data vacuum, coupled with GM able to disable any OnStar vehicle. If someone hacks that, they can shut down the entire road system for days, especially if ECM firmware is pushed out which would change timing in an interference engine, shearing off the valves with the piston, ensuring the vehicle is basically dead.
Wish there were a list of car makers which did this, and ones which valued privacy. That is probably going to be a major point in where my next vehicle comes from.
Re:Is this just GM? (Score:5, Insightful)
> Wish there were a list of car makers which did this, and ones which valued privacy.
Here's the list of car makers which value privacy:
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> Wish there were a list of car makers which did this, and ones which valued privacy.
Here's the list of car makers which value privacy:
Insightful and Funny in one line - wish I had mod points.
Looking at your Slashdot handle - are you a 'Haven' fan by any chance?
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If someone hacks that, they can shut down the entire road system for days, especially if ECM firmware is pushed out which would change timing in an interference engine, shearing off the valves with the piston, ensuring the vehicle is basically dead.
lol. Impressive scare mongering, with just enough engine knowledge to sound convincing.
Valve timing is only marginally under control of the engine, and only if it's a variable-valve-timing engine (which admittedly, most are these days).
However, the cam phaser won't allow nearly enough deflection for the pistons to kiss the valves.
Now, I will grant you that a clever person could fuck the ignition timing enough to destroy the valves outright.
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Thats one reason why I like my MX5, none interference motor.
Was it accurate? (Score:2)
My arithmetic says that's 40km/h on average, not a lot. If he went onto a highway, that would explain the rapid acceleration. The hard braking is more troubling. Was he teaching a grand-child to drive? Now, when a vehicle is shared between drivers, insurance will be based on the worst driver, not who does most of the driving.
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I'm quite certain the actuaries aren't counting reasonable acceleration to highway speeds as "rapid acceleration"
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So you can now choose between braking hard so you manage to stop at the traffic light that tries to make you run a red by showing yellow for a second or not braking hard to avoid a higher insurance premium.
Expect people to run a lot of red lights and cause a lot of accidents if that takes root. Because if I have to pay either way, I can as well pay for what gets me home faster.
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The red light point really shows there isn't much critical thinking behind your post as the impact of a heavy breaking event will be nominal at worst while getting pulled over for running lights certainly isn't.
In a car with telemetry, the heavy breaking event is always logged and reported. Thus the hit to your insurance bill is guaranteed. A cop pulling you over only happens if one is nearby when the light is run, and there's a limit to the number of cops / speed cameras available. (See also, if those cameras become numerous enough, an uptick in vandalism rates.)
TL;DR: When you treat everyone as a criminal by default, don't be surprised when they start acting that way by default.
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You'll find that certain places have decided that shortening the yellow light phase increases their income and certain intersections have curiously short yellow light phases [youtube.com].
I prefer our version of a traffic light. Before it switches to yellow, it flashes a few times. Also, before it switches from red to green, you get a brief "red-yellow" phase that pretty much tells you to get into gear. A quick comparison of the difference [youtube.com].
Insurance Racket (Score:3, Insightful)
And exactly how can you dispute this? What's to stop them from fudging (checks notes..dna testing, no..emissions data, no.. oh!) driving data to pad profits?
The lack of optin for services that require tracking, including credit itself, is a travesty.
The advent of crony capitalism was the beginning of an extinction level event--AI is just an accelerant.
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The advent of crony capitalism was the beginning of an extinction level event--AI is just an accelerant.
Brilliant! A Slashdot sig if ever I saw one! Mind if I use it for that purpose? I've had my current sig for a long time - might be due for a change...
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Thanks - done!
This isn't sharing. (Score:4, Insightful)
SlashDup (Score:2)
If you've got more information on an article that's already been posted, you really ought to put it in a reply to that article, rather than posting another article....
How to disable telemetry? (Score:3)
We need a central clearinghouse on how to disable telemetry on every make of vehicle that transmits such data.
Most cars these days come with their own cellular modem, and we as consumers need to know how to disable them, whether physically by removing the antenna or unplugging the hardware, or via software configuration, or worst case scenario 'opt-out' which as the article indicates doesn't actually always stop them from using and storing your data. With newer vehicles this could possibly disable various features such as remote start, and in heavily connected vehicles such as the Tesla, you may not be able to receive over the air updates (if you want them) unless it can do that through your phone when desired. The question is, how much data are you willing to surrender for these conveniences?
The other issue I have questions about is how much cars without their own modem are able to communicate via a smartphone linked with bluetooth or android auto or apple car play. If it is only connected via bluetooth for audio output and phone calls, can it also use that for general connectivity, or is it pretty firewalled?
As soon as I realized with my wife's last car that you did not have to be within wifi or bluetooth distance to communicate with the car via its app, I knew then that it had its own connectivity and was reporting data back to the mothership.
I have two older cars that have no such connectivity (neither has OnStar, one was built in 2000 and the other in 2015, just before all of this started really gaining traction) but we recently changed my wife's car to a Tesla with the idea of saving money on gas for her long commute. The Tesla is an amazing car but at the same time the ultimate connected nightmare. I can't stomach it but she doesn't care about things like that, so I let it go.
Is it possible to stop Tesla from sharing your data? Or to prevent them from receiving it in the first place? They have their own insurance offering which uses that data, and there is nothing you need to do to start using that feature, as it's already there. We know they use it as they've used it to try to fight negative reviews from journalists who have driven the car. This was very early on in Tesla's history as well.
There is an alternate universe where electric vehicles are simple; they have a simple motor controller with regen braking, like a fancier verison of an industrial motor controller, and internal management systems for battery maintenance and charging. Nothing talks to the world. Instead, Tesla has led the way into a connectivity nightmare that everyone else is following. It's the Chrome and Tailfins creep from the 1950s all over again - lots of stuff you don't need. Wouldn't it be nice if Tesla left off all the useless software features and games and instead lowered the price of the car?
Another thing that would be nice to set in law is a requirement that insurance companies state plainly and in large print if they used that data as a factor in determining your insurance rates. No hiding it in fine print.
Re: How to disable telemetry? (Score:2)
I managed to reverse engineer and reflash my own 2016 Focus. Disable updates and add a menus to disable annoyances.
disable the antenna (Score:2)
you usually can disable the antenna or remove the entire rf board without interfering with much of anything else.
of course that won't play nice with their 'replace android auto/carplay' crap in the latest cars... but maybe this will push for a resurgence in aftermarket car headunits. probably not but i guess there's always bluetooth and phone mounts.
one of the first things i did to my gm car when i got it new in 2016 was remove the onstar rf board. within the first month. then it was hacking concerns bu
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I guess they will couple it with eCall [wikipedia.org]. Your chances to disable that, may vary [phoronix.com] (random hit when googling how to disable eCall) depending on brand and service center.
First, they came for my PC (Score:3)
Re: First, they came for my PC (Score:2)
Maybe, but then you'll have 1 000 000 different variations of your car software and no tech support will ever pick up your troubleshooting ticket. ðY
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Seems illegal (Score:2)
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Seems like a clear privacy violation case. One would expect private driving habits to remain private
Lawyers expect consumers who voluntarily download optional car apps, to read EULAs too. In case you were wondering how this is legal..
Guilty by association (Score:2)
No, this is not "screwing up your insurance". This gives you what you deserve. If you drive like a bad-mannered wanker, you attract more risk and deserve to pay more. The entire car insurance market works on statistics and risks in particular cohorts of people. It's an inherently unfair system which discriminates against people purely because they have certain characteristics and belong to group X, Y and Z. The insurance you pay should be personalised to you, your driving style and individual driving condit
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But then you just stated you don't want the insurance companies to have the data that would allow them to customize such a plan?
Re: Guilty by association (Score:2)
Not sure where? I'd like them to have the data they need to set prices based on driving feedback, not whether you're a white male in a bad neighborhood.
Re: Guilty by association (Score:2)
Why are you so hyper focused on speeding? There are so many parts to it. Dangerous manoeuvres, unexpected breaking, using mobile devices while driving, butting your way in, pulling out of side streets like a maniac despite incoming traffic because "you think you can make it". Examples go on and on. Speeding is just a part of it.
Re: Guilty by association (Score:2)
Forgot to mention the other obvious ones like forcing your way onto junctions despite yellow boxes, no indicators, ignoring red lights or hurrying to jump on yellows. The list goes on and on and on...
Call me old fashioned... (Score:2)
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"Sharing" (Score:2)
I just hope... (Score:2)
I just hope that they have better speed limits maps than the Opel Mokka I drove yesterday, that tells me I'm driving in a 30 zone when it's a 50 zone, or the WV Id.3 that insisted I was speeding when we went under an overpass in he highway, taking apparently the speed limit of the overpass road.
What bullshit (Score:2)
The thing that the article doesn't mention is that all this bullshit is brought to you by people that have THE AUDACITY of calling China's social credit shit "evil"....
What a bunch of HYPOCRITE BASTARDS !
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Someone voluntarily agreeing to provide driving analytics to a private company as part of an insurance deal is a world away from finding out you can't get a mortgage because you posted a picture of a famous cartoon bear and the state has decided you are an undesirable.
Are there savings? (Score:2)
The question is, are there drivers who have seen reduced premiums as they have been deemed “good” drivers?
If not, this is simply a money grab.
But if the total premiums for all drivers remains constant, with “good” drivers charged less, and “bad” drivers charged more, this could be reasonable.
I’m suspicious it’s a money grab, sadly.
If they're so good at tracking (Score:2)
...maybe Slashdot could get their help prevent preventing duplicate articles just hours apart?
https://tech.slashdot.org/stor... [slashdot.org]
See the manager (Score:2)
Sir, this is a Wendy's.
Many recent (10+ years?) have "black boxes" (Score:2)
Many recent cars, maybe last decade or so, maybe a little longer, have "black boxes" -- the car records many parameters that can, and have, been extracted for trials, etc.
This is separate from the app bullshit being mentioned in this article.
I do wonder if the carmakers are siphoning and selling this data -- whatever in your black box -- every time you go to a dealer service dept.
Granted, the black box data is just a very short snippet, I doubt it's even a full hour's worth of data -- but whores will be who
This is why I am keeping my 2016 Wrangler! (Score:2)
Simple (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Simple, stop buying new cars
Done. I absolutely loathe rear-view cameras and the requisite video screen. I loathe start-stop (yes I know it can usually be hardwired off using the right software to talk to the car). I despise the styling new cars have, with their retarded buck-toothed grins and tall front ends.
My 2013 shitbox is going to have to do at least 5 more years, if not 10 more. I do keep it better than United keeps its planes, so barring accident or misfortune it should be doable.
I have now lived long enough to remember when
opt out (Score:2)
My 2020 Bolt (Score:2)
... can connect to my house's wifi. I enabled it to see if it would reach out and reset the clock.
Nope - it only resets the clock through OnStar, which I refuse to pay for.
I now see that I should definitely disable that - it does nothing useful, and might be sending data back to GM.
I should crank up Wireshark before turning it off, just to see if it's obviously sending data back.
Re: (Score:3)
Actually, sometimes actions which could be interpreted as unsafe driving by software are absolutely necessary to drive safely. Here in central Florida we have poorly implemented toll lanes on I-4, with the entrance and exit ramps for accessing/exiting the toll lanes almost exclusively on the left side of the highway. That was one of the contributing factors in my decision to trade my previous underpowered ICE econobox for a Chevy Bolt. Getting on or off those toll lanes usually does require some rather h
Re: (Score:2)
However, I'm quite certain that on average, harsh driving leads to more accidents, either for that driver, or the people around them.
That doesn't justify any of this shit, but from an actuarial perspective, it makes perfect sense.
They're in the business of quantifying risk.
Re: But..but..I'm a good driver (Score:2)
In other words, if someone drives slower than you, they are a sucker. If they drive faster, they are a psychopathic killer who needs to be jailed for life. ðY
Re: (Score:2)
Or why I drive through a bad neighborhood at night. Or why I take a few too many trips to a doctor or a pharmacy, maybe share that information with my health insurance as well...