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Comment by reaperducer | Hacker News Reader

Buy a Volvo. Then you can pop out the SIM card to disable the car's cellular communication. (On mine, located behind the mirror.)

When you really need it, like to download maps into the satnav, you can connect it to your home WiFi, or tether via Bluetooth.

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Hahah, I just traded in 2023 (unrelated brand) for 2012 model since it was less of a computer. Computer systems in the newer car kept having faults that caused sporadic electrical issues workshops couldn’t fix. I just want my car to be a car and nothing else.

2005 Toyota Corolla.

1997... and that's my last car. No way I'm going to be driving around in a piece of spyware.

Until they switch to eSIM...

cut the antenna

... and get a Check Engine light+fault code for the built-in emergency SOS feature, thereby making it unable to pass vehicle inspection until you fix the antennae

so either 1) disconnect it most of the time and reconnect it for inspections, or 2) buy a dummy load RF terminator matching the resistance of your antenna

Live in an inspection free state.

Hrm HN seems very triggered by this reasonable suggestion.

Not sure either but apparently some people think that voting with your feet is for them, not for us.

Chinese-owned Volvo?

OnePlus and other Chinese brands were modders-friendly until they suddenly weren't, I wouldn't rely on your car not getting more hostile at a certain point

There was a video by MKBHD where he said that every new phone manufacturer starts off being the hero and doing something different and consumer/user friendly before with growth and competition they evolve into just another mass market phone manufacturer. Realistically this is because they wouldn't be able to survive without being able to make and sell mass market phones. This has already happened to OnePlus back half a decade ago when they merged with Oppo, and it's arguably happened with ASUS as well when they cancelled the small form factor phone a couple years ago.

Chinese-owned Volvo?

Shhh. Nobody tell him where his phone, computer, and vast majority of everything else in his house was made.

A phone without SIM can still be used to call emergency services (911/999/0118999 8819991197253). The situation we're discussing though is an attack by an extremely-APT. You really think not having the SIM card is going to do anything? If the cell phone hardware is powered up, it's available. All the APT has to do is have put their code into the baseband at some point, maybe at the Volvo factory when the car was programmed, and get the cooperation of a cell-phone tower, or use a Stingray to report where the car is when in range.

> 8819991197253

Which sadist decided that that is a good number for an emergency call?

it's actually 0118 999 881 999 119 7253, you missed the beginning

it's from IT Crowd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWc3WY3fuZU

Hehe, that's hilarious, especially the way they add the 3.

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