BMW Blasts Its Cars' Internal Screens With Aggressive Ads (futurism.com) 206
Longtime Slashdot readers schwit1 and fjo3 shared a report about BMW displaying a Spider-Man promotion on connected vehicle screens in more than 70 markets. According to reports, drivers had to play or dismiss the ad before they could use the infotainment system. Futurism reports: BMW, showing that it was about as in-touch as its drivers are familiar with turn signals, teased the promotion as a "special surprise." According to The Autopian's coverage and the heaps of complaints online, the ad appears on the center console screen when you start up the car. When the ad's done playing -- a cheap looking animation that doesn't come close to warranting all this hubbub -- it even has the gall to ask you to scan a QR code.
While it does give you the option to play or skip the "festive animation," it's still an annoying extra step drivers have to take before pulling up the map they need or the music they want to listen to. It's also a breach of trust: drivers keep their cars connected so they receive critical software updates, not unexpectedly see ads when they're trying to hit the road. Few owners were pleased. Enthusiasts in the r/BMW subreddit had a veritable meltdown when someone posted footage of the ad playing on their infotainment system.
While it does give you the option to play or skip the "festive animation," it's still an annoying extra step drivers have to take before pulling up the map they need or the music they want to listen to. It's also a breach of trust: drivers keep their cars connected so they receive critical software updates, not unexpectedly see ads when they're trying to hit the road. Few owners were pleased. Enthusiasts in the r/BMW subreddit had a veritable meltdown when someone posted footage of the ad playing on their infotainment system.
test drive? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:test drive? (Score:5, Interesting)
Apparently it was done as a software update at some point. I'd be booking the car in for warranty work to remove it, and getting a substantial refund if they can't fix it.
Re: test drive? (Score:4, Interesting)
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That's what the refund covers. Diminished value, loss of resale value.
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Apparently it was done as a software update at some point. I'd be booking the car in for warranty work to remove it, and getting a substantial refund if they can't fix it.
This. Also the car you test drive won't be the one you buy unless you're trying to buy a used demonstrator.
I suspect that they're will be a remotely deactivated "dealer mode" that will be turned off after delivery (or perhaps not even present on cars that are not intended to be demonstrators).
This will just be the test to see how much the frog can be boiled, after the backlash they'll say "it was just the marketing intern and we'll make sure it's toned down from here" and then slowly ramp it back up a
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Also the car you test drive won't be the one you buy unless you're trying to buy a used demonstrator.
This a BMW thing? I've only bought three new cars in my life, but I test drove the exact vehicle I purchased. Why would you drive a different car?
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Apparently it was done as a software update at some point. I'd be booking the car in for warranty work to remove it, and getting a substantial refund if they can't fix it.
Makes the car useless anyway if this can't be turned off. I get in my car and I want to use google maps to figure out where a place is, I am in a hurry, and don't want to sit through multiple ads just to use the car that I paid a ton of money for.
Although, maybe Ford should do this as well...they can advertise where the nearest mechanic's shop is on every start, and then give you an emotional support ad after that, and end it with a "Hope you can get there without the car catching fire, crashing, or
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Re:test drive? (Score:5, Interesting)
Reminder that any car that has an always-on cellular internet connection that you aren't paying for has a connection that's being paid for by the manufacturer, and it must be worth it to them.
If you can, and can get at it, remember that a coax terminator in place of the 5G antenna connection is a pretty good guarantee against your privacy being violated and your possession being treated like it's the manufacturer's.
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Unfortunately doing that will also break the built in breakdown/emergency services auto call system if you have a crash not to mention you won't get any further software updates.
Re:test drive? (Score:4, Informative)
Real "first world problems" level here.
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The emergency call feature is mandatory in the EU, and free. Has been compulsory on new cars since 2018.
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is it mandatory for consumers?
Re:test drive? (Score:4, Informative)
It's mandatory on all new cars, but you can disable it yourself if you want to. You are also allowed to replace it with your own system, although I'm not sure why you would want to. The eCall system is heavily regulated, so it only triggers in the event of a serious crash (usually only when the airbags deploy) and then calls the emergency services on speakerphone, as well as sending your location and direction of travel (using GNSS). It works in all EU countries and the UK, and there is no subscription cost.
The cost to the manufacturer is the hardware and some tiny per-vehicle fee to the mobile networks. IoT SIMs start from cents per month for small amounts of data in single quantities, for consumers, so the deal that the manufacturer has is going to be much better.
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You're usually pretty bright so i can't see how you'd imagine someone wouldn't want to disable it given the context of the discussion and the fact you're old enough to remember a time when people used CBs and ham radios with autopatch for automotive emergencies because cell phones were so expensive.
Like it's just not necessary and is used to show you ads. Also it"s nice to have the option to not involve the authorities, emergencies can be unexpectedly complex by nature and in the USA at least, I think tho
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Thank god europe is a whole different world to the US where you don't have to get out a credit card before someone hauls you into an ambulance.
Re: test drive? (Score:2)
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If my car showed me ads I'd return it and get a refund. It's a separate issue.
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"you have to pay for those emergency system"
Not in europe, they come free with the car plus they trigger in a serious accident where you might be unconcious when phoning the emergency yourself isn't an option.
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Tried that, but then all the connected features of the car stopped working.
That's the real thing you're missing. Connected cars are advertised features, features that people pay for largely. Updated maps, live traffic and road closures, the ability to remotely heat / cool the car or warnings on your phone you forgot to lock it, Spotify / Tidal / Qobuz right on your dashboard, etc.
And that's before you forget the obvious:
The e-Call directive *mandates* cars have a cellular connection and an SOS function. The
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Connected cars are advertised features, features that people pay for largely. Updated maps, live traffic and road closures, the ability to remotely heat / cool the car or warnings on your phone you forgot to lock it, Spotify / Tidal / Qobuz right on your dashboard, etc.
All things that I can do with my smartphone plus Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and a key fob.
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You don't need a cell modem for this. My non-internet connected Pioneer head unit pulls these from an FM frequency. They're broadcast in the US.
> The e-Call directive *mandates* cars have a cellular connection and an SOS function.
I'm glad that America doesn't have this honestly. What if someone hits me and I'm in a ditch and the call doesn't call the ambulance?
I'd rather not have a car government mandated to c
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Re: Not paying for it (Score:3)
Reminder that any car that has an always-on cellular internet connection that you aren't paying for has a connection that's being paid for by the manufacturer, and it must be worth it to them.
Sorry man but this is like Network Neutrality: I paid you for a product with features. Now if you want to claim you can't do it for the price offered then raise the price, stop selling the product, and/or file for bankruptcy.
This is how disastrous click-through EULA's get false justification and it's pretty much a "We are 'selling' this product to you but we can do whatever we want and if you don't like it, tough. All of our competitors are doing the exact same thing." Create hundreds of pages of legale
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Easy. Since the car always has GPS and cell reception you make it so ads are never display while on the dealer lot.
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Oh no, I really *want* ads in my car for a film I'm never going to see. I mean, how freakin' cool is it that my car can send me *ads*. Advertising is so hard to come by these days, I'm practically gagging for it, so I'm really glad BMW has had the guts to lead the market like this. They've long been leaders in making cars for chavs and people that can't park or indicate, and they're really "going the extra mile" (see what I did there!?) with this cool stuff.
I'm going to go down the dealership this afternoon
Re: test drive? (Score:2)
Re: test drive? (Score:2)
Crap (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Crap (Score:5, Informative)
Same with my Toyota Innova.
I have to tap "Agree" before I can use the car.
After tapping "Agree", it turns on the radio, so I also have to turn that off again. Every time.
I'm not sure what I'm agreeing to, since the terms and conditions aren't listed on the screen.
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Subaru Outback owner here - after every start there are now 13 touchscreen taps that I have to go through to do the "I disagree" (Actually "I agree") and then turn off a series of nanny functions that are just stressing me out.
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Chinese cars are better in this regard, e.g. MG's current software lets you set which safety features you want disabled and then save it as a profile. When you start the car they have to be on by law, but you can load your preferences with a couple of taps.
No EULA agreement screen either.
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I have the Euro variant, which is legally required to have a lot of nanny function. Eyes on the road or it beeps, exceeding the speed limit it beeps etc.
Re:Crap (Score:5, Insightful)
The radio always switching on at startup is a real bugbear of mine in my mazda too. I just don't understand why they do it , it would be so easy for the system to remember the state at shutdown and leave it there , but no, switch on each feckin time. FFS.
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I drive a Kia.
I can just start driving, but it displays a warning for a short while, that I can dismiss.
It is still annoying.
I live in Denmark.
Re: Crap (Score:2)
Re: Crap (Score:2)
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That was a think way back in the day with my Nissan Leaf too. It's not a legal requirement like they claim either. Other manufacturers like MG don't bother, they just have you agree once when setting it up. No ads either.
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That's just as crap as with my Nissan Qashqai 2021 infosystem, where I have to agree to the terms every single time I start my car. I understand if they ask it after a computer reset, but with every single start is just awful. I understand Kia has the same 'problem'.
Stupid terms of service popups are nothing at all like monetising your dashboard by displaying you video ads. Don't equate the two. One is bad design, the other is a completely fucking nefarious business practice.
Re:Crap (Score:5, Interesting)
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That was Nissan's justification when I asked about it. However my current MG just asked once, and then told me that if anyone else drives it then it's my responsibility to check that they agree to the terms. Maybe MG don't collect as much info so don't need to ask every time.
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Same in my Hyundai, but it's not that annoying, and it goes away after a minute if you don't touch it.
Also, it's not an AD.
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Re: Crap (Score:2)
Disconnecting the car? (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm still rocking my 2010 Honda Civic....fucking love that car. So I don't know how these newer cars are set up. But how hard is it to disconnect them from communicating with the outside world?
Re:Disconnecting the car? (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm still rocking my 2010 Honda Civic....fucking love that car. So I don't know how these newer cars are set up. But how hard is it to disconnect them from communicating with the outside world?
Do you want to? I mean I could disconnect mine. Then I lose features I paid for, dynamic maps, traffic updates, the ability to play Spotify on my dash without having to pair a phone, the ability to remotely engage heating, auto fill my logbook, or see the charge to my destination in Google maps, etc. A great many convenience features rely on connectivity.
That said my car has never shown ads, fuck BMW and I highly recommend no one ever buy their cars.
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Why do you need all these features (apart from the remote start)? Just use CarPlay/AA.
Are you asking me why I don't want to have to rely on reduced* functionality offered by tethering an external device to my phone rather than having it built into the car? I think the answer is obvious. I know a lot of people demand cars support AA. I demand a car is fully functional without AA (though fully support the idea that AA should be supported for people who do want to use it).
These are features of the car.
* Reduced functionality means AA doesn't screen mirror right into the dash and limits to showi
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just wait till it is low and you call for uber
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Do you want to? I mean I could disconnect mine.
Yes, do it. This is Slashdot, so I can meaningfully recommend what I did: buy a used Android phone like a Pixel 6a or something like that if you don't have one lying around. Then, load it up with iodeOS...there's an app stack that'll replace almost everything you requested.
dynamic maps, traffic updates
CoMaps and Sygic GPS both provide these, the latter being $18/year and working completely offline.
the ability to play Spotify on my dash without having to pair a phone
Spotify still works; I also use either AntennaPod for podcasts or PowerAmp ($7 once) to play the music I loaded onto it.
the ability to remotely engage heating
...yeah, disconnecti
Re:Disconnecting the car? (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm still rocking my 2010 Honda Civic ...
2001 Honda Civic Ex (136k miles) and 2002 CR-V Ex (62k miles) here, both 5-spd manuals and run great. Keeping them as long as I can.
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Oh sidenote: If I disconnect the TSCM module from my car it will fail the next roadworthy test. In most of Europe a functioning SOS system is mandatory and checked during roadworthy test as part of the e-Call directive.
Also some of these are 3G or even 2G... This is currently an item of debate in parliament as millions of cars are about to fail roadworthy due to moves by the telecom companies turning off the 2G/3G networks.
Boycoot Spiderman (Score:5, Informative)
Fuck that (Score:5, Insightful)
This is a new low. A lot of people were upset about the heated seats discussion (and the article stupidly equates the two), but that one was kind of silly since that was 100% optional, and you could choose to not have it, or purchase it outright, or have the feature just some of the time. Literally more choice to consumers.
This on the other hand can fuck all the way off. Cars shouldn't show ads. Ever. Period. I understand if you want to use a subscription service without paying for it (does Spotify's free tier work car infotainments systems?), but this is one example where regulators should step in and properly fuck BMW to send a message to everyone else.
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You can always opt out of ads for, say 20 euro/month. /sarcasm
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BMW+ Premium Gold Luxury
(I made this up, i realized it sounds like a real thing after i typed it)
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Break
My
Wallet
Re: Fuck that (Score:2)
And apparently added an app. (Score:5, Informative)
The Reddit post said it also added an app to re-watch the ad later, meaning they installed something on the vehicle w/o the owner's permission. Not to nitpick, but that's not cool. I bitched at my dealership once when they put license plate frames on my car, with their name on them, w/o telling me when I dropped it off for service. They claimed it was a promotional thing. I said so... you installed something on my car without my permission? They don't do that anymore.
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The Reddit post said it also added an app to re-watch the ad later, meaning they installed something on the vehicle w/o the owner's permission. Not to nitpick, but that's not cool.
Except that is standard in the car industry. Updating software along with default shipped functionality is something you explicitly do agree to in the terms of service. You've never been in control of this. Even back before connected cars if you did a dealer service you may find you received the car back with a tweaked infotainment system as they often included manual firmware updates with this. I remember my Mazda 323 having had this done without any request for permission back over 20 years ago.
My Polesta
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People also seem to forget that Tesla also did this awhile back with a Tron movie promotion, but people didn't complain about that for some reason. Not to mention that they added the Grok AI assistant to all of their cars as well. I'm shocked that the AI haters didn't make a big deal about that one.
Do not buy (Score:2)
As LG with their screens, BMW obviously wants to be put on the "do not buy" list. It's a shame, as they do make nice cars offering a good driving experience - even if you have to pick them between the flood of ungainly SUVs. But, as I'm sure most people will agree, ads are simply not acceptable in products you buy. I'm also sure BMW is burning lots of positive karma with this, and sales will suffer because of it. And they'll certainly blame it on the flood of cheaper chinese cars rather than look at their o
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German auto makers are at at critical time; sales are down, competition is up, reliability seems worse in comparison to their competition.
BMW subscriptions are one way to make cheap (low COGS revenue). This hurts every German automaker. The impression is that such madness will find its way into the Porsche-Audi-VW chain, and makes every new German car suspect.
With the entry cost now almost out of reach, once the German auto industry starts to collapse, banks (financing both vendor and consumer) also becomes
Re: Do not buy (Score:2)
Somewhere between 2016 and 2022 bmw stopped being so awesome. I test drove a 328d â16 and that car was perfect. Cockpit was gorgoeous, car handled like a dream, and it was a diesel wagon. I passed because replacing the run-flats seemed too pricy. I regret it.
Rented a â22 or â23 5 series. It waa quiet, but handling an acceleration were lackluster for a car of that pedigree. And the interior was so ugly. No elegence, no sophistication. The themes in the infotainment looked like a modern activi
In "unrelated" news... (Score:3)
People then could stop to buy new cars or look at other brands that are selling cheaper models with less gadgets. It happened with Japanese brands, then happened with Korean brands and now it's happening with Chinese brands.
And by the way the BYD SEAL looks cooler than the BMW i4.
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Maybe they should find what customers really want and not what is getting them bigger profit margins only.
Stick shift would be nice. Whatever happened to "The Ultimate Driving Machine"? Pay all that money for a supposed performance car and the best you can do is press a pedal.
Or be bombarded with ads.
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And by the way the BYD SEAL looks cooler than the BMW i4.
Bad example. The SEAL has far more gadgets and functionality than a base model i4. The reality is it's precisely this kind of fully loaded feature stuff that does in fact sell cars, and Europe's majors are severely lagging in this field.
At least they didn't upload a U2 album to it (Score:2)
Like some investors' darlings would have done.
Another reason.... (Score:2)
not to buy a BMW or any other car with a cellular umbilical cord back to the mother ship.
Hot tip: Renault (Score:5, Interesting)
My 2026 Renault Scenic never nags me with any license terms, only warns me that using Google will be out of their control. Everything is opt-in. They explicitly tell me how they use my personal info (which is in a totally acceptable manner), that they encrypt everything, and that I have the right to be deleted and/or know whatever they store about me. In fact, they seem so aggressive when it comes to protecting my data, it's as if the people who work there feel the same as I do.
They turned out amongst the best in Mozilla's car privacy test in 2023: https://www.mozillafoundation.... [mozillafoundation.org]
The car is also great, by the way. Plenty of space, range and smart design. And I feel very safe that it will never show me any ads, ever.
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And before anyone says "eww unreliable French PoS" my previous Renault was old enough to drink in America before it broke down. Even then it was a fuel pump which was repairable, but at that point I just had enough of driving a well over 20 year old car so sold it off to be turned into a small metal cube.
BMW's financial troubles (Score:5, Informative)
Disclaimer: I currently obtain all of my income by writing software for BMW. As ass-ociates, we get bombarded with our fair amount of marketing, together with the meetings explaining the situation of the company. (Hence posting AC. I also am very happy with my 7 y/o Toyota, thank you, and am not considering ever owning one of their cars; although I have owned a number of their motorcycles in the past and might consider one in the future, if the need arises - with need I do not mean "showing off", but my transport/mobility situation).
I am sure it is no news by now that German (amongst other countries') car makers, from Mercedes down to VW, are under a lot of pressure from Chinese offerings. (Maybe BMW should return to outputting war materials like in the heydays when the Quants first made their fortune. At least VW have some measure of income by renting facilities to Rheinmetal who need to make more tanks because Russia, Ukraine, etc.)
In a recent all-hands update a top-down "plea" was made that the company find more and more creative ways to extract more revenue from existing customers (which are diminishing in numbers, to reiterate). I guess ads and subscriptions are all part of an attempt to achieve this. This milking of customers is yet another reason, along with the premium price to get from A to B, the expensive parts and services, and the A-hole Aura, why I will continue to steer clear (pun intended) of the marque.
My opinion is that more earnings would be incoming to a company if it tried to obtain more customers, not less, especially in an economic climate where many people feel more and more under pressure and thus increasingly are foregoing luxuries. My further opinion is that companies gain customers as and when they solve a problem for them at a reasonable cost. At the moment it seems the only problem this brand solves is some peoples' need to have a certain image and look down on others. On the other hand, my problem is the simple logistic fact that I need to get from A to B and wish to do so in a safe, reliable, cost-effective and reasonably comfortable way, and I live in a locale where whatever there is for public transport does not often offer this.
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if it tried to obtain more customers, not less, especially in an economic climate where many people feel more and more under pressure and thus increasingly are foregoing luxuries.
This is a key problem especially for BMW which has for decades positioned themselves as a premium luxury brand. The current economic climate makes people more price sensitive than brand loyal and this is the gap China is filling quite nicely.
Though it's worth noting that it's not like Chinese cars in Europe are somehow being dumped and sold at Chinese prices. They aren't. e.g. the newly released Denza Z9 costs $40k US in China, and $135k US in Europe for the same model.
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Customer service fail (Score:2)
Another example of greedy business. A lot of that going on these days. If it's not paying Amazon Prime to give you ads, it's or Ryannair [bbc.co.uk] airlines charging you for sitting with your kid.
At some point these activities must turn customers off. Businesses seem to keep trying to see how far they can push it. Is this a problem? Well yes, I am getting less value for money, putting ads in my car is not adding value to it, it's detracting from it.
But all is good in the name of profit? If you are a shareholding cap
Could have been worse (Score:2)
...could have been a U2 album (which Apple added to everyone's iTunes account without their say-so in 2014)
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Seems so quaint now
turn signals (Score:2)
"showing that it was about as in-touch as its drivers are familiar with turn signals"
this cracked me up ðY I did not know this was an international thing.
So car companies are going for rent-seeking... (Score:2)
This is utterly beyond unacceptable - ads, on a $$$$$$ BMW.
I'm not enamored of the screens, anyway. Monday night, driving home from a concert, the damn thing (not a BMW) was so bright it distracted me while driving, and we had to cut to another screen that was dark. NOT SAFE.
Many affluent buyers are surprisingly masochistic (Score:2)
The way prospective Ferrari buyers let the brand treat them has always amused me. Then Porsche got in on the act with its higher-end 911 variants. And now BMW. It's like there are marketing psychologists somewhere who figured out these people have zero self-respect and will pay for the privilege of being treated like shit.
In the space of One Lifetime (Score:3)
Just within my lifetime, BMW has gone from "Germany's finest engineering" to Low Rent Slop. How sad.
Re:In the space of One Lifetime (Score:4, Insightful)
That's true. It used to be that if you were rich you bought either a Merc or a BMW - and people were pretty partisan about it. Mercs were seen as being a bit "old money", whilst BMWs were seen as overly complicated and a bit gauche. However, either offered some top-notch engineering, a happy driving experience and lots of comfort, cool tech etc.
Now, Mercs are looking butt ugly and generally a bit "samey". BMWs are just toys for kids - that heated seats thing, and now this just says "sucker" more than it says "oh wow, look at that cool person".
That said, there are no "premium" cars left really. Sure, you could drive an Aston or a Rolls, but they're made for rich chinese and arabs with no taste. They don't have the refinement they used to have, nor do they really offer much you don't get in a decent family car. I guess cars have become commoditised, but no one told the manufacturers yet. The chinese brands are cleaning up, mainly because they answer to what people want - just /something/ to get from A to B. Doesn't really matter what it looks like, doesn't matter if it's a bit rattly, so long as it goes and stops - and is cheap. Ironically, if we all bought those sorts of cars, then there's be a clear place for the "premium" brands, albeit a much smaller market than they'd like, but an obvious one.
Do you have to watch before taking out of park? (Score:2)
Does it make you watch the whole ad before it lets you take the vehicle out of park?
Karma (Score:2)
It's a plan... (Score:2)
Don't they understand... (Score:2)
...that this will serve to drive off customers?
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Car companies are run by morons... (Score:2)
This is a stupid waste of time that could not have *possibly* earned them that much, a single ad in a very narrow context to a fairly small demographic. They risk their reputation on what has to be a relative pittance. Same on when they toyed with 'heated seats as a service'. A demographic that was probably happy to pay, but the annoyance was enough..
Similarly, GM has decided to move toward no support for phone interoperability. They are de-featuring cars that might be over $90,000 in the hopes that *may
Sorry BMW, very Declasse (Score:2)
Weird (Score:2)
Dumb phone and car please (Score:2)
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Exceptionalism Bias (Score:2)
Legislation, or perhaps death penalty for execs (Score:2)
Overreacting - It isn't an Ad, it's and Easter Egg (Score:3)
Note that I have a BMW X5. The author is greatly exaggerating the claim in order to get clicks. All you get a notification icon at the top of the screen - you have to click that notification, then you have to click the "Spiderman" in order to play it. It isn't automatic. If you watch his video carefully you can see that he clicked the "spiderman" from the fucking notification screen in order to claim the "Advertisment" was forced upon him.
BMW has long offered special Easter egg's in this format for a long time, it does it for holidays and other special occasions.
1) It is NOT forced on you.
2) You ignore the notification icon, or clear it without watching very easily.
3) It is NOT forced on you.
4) It automatically deletes the easter egg the next time you start the car.
5) Is it NOT forced on you.