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Comment by drnick1 | Hacker News Reader

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drnick1

1) Unplug the cellular modem.

2) Unplug the camera or put a piece of blackout tape over the lens.

3) Enjoy!

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2.5) Your car doesn’t start

3) Enjoy

I will start now but I think not for long. “For your own safety we disabled your car”.

> I will start now but I think not for long. “For your own safety we disabled your car”.

This is precisely why you should not want an Internet-connected car. It isn't truly yours if it can be "upgraded" behind your back through a backdoor.

It won’t be long until someone finds a way to flash the firmware or install a bootleg sensor or something else. You can already get a lot “chipped” on VAG and BMW cars.

I'd rather keep my warranty.

Warranty I don’t care. Insurance on the other hand is useful.

Oh great you just had an accident with modified software in car - we are not covering that.

Truly yours, car insurance company.

Chances are most manufacturers are going to use a cheap USB camera. Can a raspberry pi emulate webcam? Just place the same video of you diligently staring out of the window on repeat.

2.75) Test this during the test drive

3) Do not buy car

3.5) Buy a different car

3.75) There are no different cars

4) Buy an old car from 2014 and maintain it carefully

4.25) Give up driving

4.5) Become a hermit

> “For your own safety we disabled your car”

Drive onto freeway, `sneeze` directly at camera, car "disabled for safety", causes chaos on freeway (hopefully no one dies), sue car maker, retire

And remember to format the car before you take it in for a service.

As a rule, I do my own maintenance or take the car to an independent mechanic. I wouldn't trust a dealer given how misaligned their incentives are with my interests.

Both are illegal.

Not really, it will still be fully road legal, at least in my EU member state.

It's illegal to disconnect the modem? Where?

Ecall is mandatory, you'll eventually fail road safety inspections.

Ok, it's basically illegal then, and also enforced. So guess that "just disconnect the modem" advice is wrong.

Just reconnect it before the inspection?

Don't know if that's detectable or if there's some other gotcha like filing insurance claims after a crash. I'm not in the EU, my cars are pre-modem, and seems like everyone else is guessing too. Is there anyone here who actually disables the modem in the EU and isn't a mechanic?

Under which juridiction? I doubt it is in any country of the EU.

You absolutely cannot do it with rented or leased cars e.g.

In general tampering with safety equipment is not legal, enforcement is another thing.

I'm not a fan of people giving poor advice online.

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