The ongoing theme of all these responses was shifting the blame to the consumer.
As expected. I think consumers also need to push back on these practices, but the problem is, majority of consumers are tech savy but not privacy savy.
As expected. I think consumers also need to push back on these practices, but the problem is, majority of consumers are tech savy but not privacy savy.
It's been a while since I read up on them and things might have changed, but I have a lot respect for what they're doing. Full embracing right to repair and customer privacy when the entire industry is moving at lightning speed in the opposite direction.
I'm just saying that "disable car's telemetry" is not necessarily 100% for preventing exfil of car telemetry if you then connect your phone while having the car app running.
Like, I'm not sure of the company, but I know there was some "I modded my car so it couldn't phone home but I'm still getting reports from the manufacturer about excessive acceleration" and it ended up being because the owner had disabled the car's telemetry but was using the app on the phone for remote start and music or whatever.
If you buy a completely option-free $24,950 truck, there is no telematics/surveillance in their vehicle.
Which also means there's no remote app features that people enjoy.
The spirit of the vehicle is you can option out just about anything and DIY-it; very, very few "from the factory" options, but dozens upon dozens of DIY accessories from the factory.
Including a $275 telematics module - https://www.slate.auto/en/store/ACCIT010 - Which enables remote app features.
The current description for the module on their website:
> A plug-and-play solution that acts as a cellular bridge between your smartphone and your Slate vehicle, enabling features like remote access and battery pre-conditioning.
It's not clear to anyone exactly what features the module has to enable the above, or if it does more than all that.
Once the thing actually ships, there'll be manuals, and there'll be people hacking it to find out exactly what it both does and doesn't do.
And since it's a DIY addition, if you later become uncomfortable with what you added to your vehicle, you can remove it!
I do enjoy watching my friend remote start his Colorado through the app, it only takes 30 seconds for the app to load and sign in, and then he presses a button that used to be on the key itself.
There's no actual wireless on the vehicle out of the box. There's a "secure gateway" module that has a USB Ethernet adapter hanging off it, then that hangs off a USB-C port just inside the dash panels. Job listings basically detail that it's going to be DTLS over USB to the truck to do all the CANbus magic and stuff.
The telematics module also just hooks to a second USB port on the secure gateway that also has access to that same DTLS link.
So far in the truck's development they don't even really have an app yet before launch but the truck's driving along very happy without it.
https://www.cybercogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/cyberco...
So you can buy repair manual access for 1-3 days or on a subscription. You don’t get car software updates. You don’t get the diagnostic interface documentation. It’s a joke.
I would expect this legislative approach will be rolled everywhere.
I hate it, fwiw.
https://government.london/services/ulez/
> Drive a non-compliant vehicle anywhere in London and you pay £12.50 for the day. Check your vehicle first — most newer cars pay nothing — then pay for the day or set up Auto Pay with TfL.
For me, this is another example of how corporations + governments work together to artificially create new markets with the consumer picking up the tab. In this case, car maker sales are boosted by legislation that punishes ownership of perfectly viable cars.
Two wheels and some impressive leg muscles !
No, not at all. Most consumers wouldn't know or care if it's present let alone how it all works...or why they should be aware of it. Not a slight to the non-IT literate either.
The victim blaming when it comes to enshittification is now so deeply ingrained into culture of Americans that it's pretty much impossible to expect any kind of coordinated pushback for more consumer rights.
The market is kind of free, but some parts have more freedom than others.