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Cars are Now Spyware — Subaru™ Example
Design is destiny. And that destiny is a comprehensive and real-time profile of each of us gathered from our cars, devices, work, TV, phones, etc. It might as well be a personal journal and calendar of your day, via a deep dive that costs nothing, courtesy of artificial intelligence. Combined with lawfare, the future for human rights looks bleak.
All electronic products are becoming spyware, including newer automobiles. I wonder if reliable older spyware-free cars might start carrying a price premium...!
Even if you trust a company to try to do the right thing, there are hackers and data breaches. And it is always a question of 'when', not 'if'. For example, I just received a letter from my mortgage servicer informing me of the complete breach of ALL my sensitive personal information.
If a mortgage servicer can’t secure your information, a car company will keep it secure? Besides, they’ll be selling it for top dollar.
Vote with your wallet by not buying a Subaru, or any brand that thinks this is OK. But maybe the battle is already lost?
Personally, I want a car with striclty minimal electronics, regular buttons and dials, no internet capability and no GPS. I’m not sure these exist at this point.
What does Tesla’s policy say?
Subaru Privacy Policies Dec 21, 2022
....This Privacy Policy applies to each user of the Services, including any “Vehicle Occupant,” which includes each driver or passenger in a Subaru vehicle that uses Connected Vehicle Services, such as Subaru Starlink (such vehicle, a “Connected Vehicle”), whether or not such driver or passenger is the vehicle owner or a registered user of the Connected Vehicle Services...
B. Information We Collect
Within the past twelve (12) months, Subaru has collected the categories of Personal Information listed in the INFORMATION WE COLLECT section above, including:
Category Examples / Description Identifiers A real name, username or alias, postal address, unique personal identifier, online identifier, Internet Protocol address, email address, account name, Social Security number, driver’s license number, vehicle information (such as model and year), vehicle identification number (VIN), vehicle telemetry data, or other similar identifiers. Personal information categories listed in the California Customer Records statute (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.80(e) A name, signature, Social Security number, address, telephone number, driver’s license or state identification card number. Some Personal Information included in this category may overlap with other categories. Commercial information Records of personal property, products or services purchased, obtained, or considered. Internet or other similar network activity. Browsing history, search history, information on a consumer’s interaction with a website, application, or advertisement. Geolocation data. Physical location and movements, including from Connected Vehicle Services or Technology Services. Inferences drawn from other Personal Information. Profile reflecting a person’s preferences, characteristics, predispositions, behavior, or attitudes. Recordings Audio recordings of Vehicle Occupants. Audio recordings when you call our call centers or a Retailer. Payment information Credit card information for optional Services, such as Subaru Starlink. Subaru obtains this Personal Information from the following types of sources: California residents or their representatives, Retailers, Service Providers, Data Services Companies, Connected Vehicle Services, online activity, Affiliates, and Distributors.
WIND: you are the product, to be bought and sold to anyone they please, or for warrantless lawfare, etc. And let’s skip over the fact that your car could be shut-off remotely by not just law enforcement, but hackers. A dystopian future is already here.
Never buy, drive, or ride in a Subaru™, or any other brand with such policies. But how many people will ever realize this, let alone act on it? Is that even feasible? Are we 'lost' yet? Maybe it is too late.
There is no right to stop the collection of this information. You can opt out of certain types of sharing, but not the collection itself. Which means you have no privacy, since it is only when-not-if that info will ALL be compromised, see my note at page top.
Right to Opt Out of Selling or Sharing — To the extent Subaru Sells or Shares your Personal Information, you have the right to direct us to not Sell or Share your Personal Information at any time (the “right to opt-out”).
Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Information — You have the right to request that we limit the use and disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information by submitting a Verifiable Request...
This summary puts it pretty succinctly:
Who knew? The Subaru privacy policy allows them to record your conversations and your face and sell that data to the highest bidder. Most likely (who reads these things) all the other car companies do too. When an AI analyzes it, presumably it will identify your voice (and you from the cameras). Anything you say in the public broadcasting world of private cars will belong to them, even if you are a passenger, and were never asked.
So if you want to have a private discussion about your political views, your children, your religion, troubles at work, intellectual property, discoveries, information that might affect stock prices, your thoughts on immigration, corruption, or mention any medical issues you have, or affairs anyone you know has had, don’t do it in an electric car. Imagine the blackmail, political, legal and insider potential with this data in the hands of…
Not to mention hackers getting ahold of it, even if the criminals in your government are not interested in taking you out.
Ironically, Subaru’s marketing frequently promotes getting away from it all!
Strap on your Vision Pro headset, jump in that Subaru, and head out to some wild place. You too can help in destroying the interesting places that remain, while never really being there.
Fujifilm GFX100 II + Fujifilm GF 55mm f/1.7 WR @ 45.3mm equiv (55mm)
ENV: Nevada, altitude 5750 ft / 1753 m, 43°F / 6°C
RAW: Camera ASTIA, LACA corrected, vignetting corrected, WB 5150°K tint 22, pull 0.33 stops, +20 Whites, USM {8,50,0}, SmartSharpen{30,0.7,0}
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