Over the past few years, It's been damn near impossible to purchase an app for your phone or tablet without having to invest, after the fact, in an additional subscription to get access to all of the app's features. It's a charming financial death of a thousand cuts that has spread to several other products. Arguably, none feels more insidious than paying micro-transactions to get the most out of a car you just bought or are leasing. In-car Internet, navigation systems, driver assistance systems like ONStar, anti-theft tracking systems and desirable features like heating or cooling your vehicle's seats and steering wheel have all become extras available for a gazillion low monthly fees. If the thought of paying extra for something you're already paying for doesn't feel greasy enough that you kinda want a shower, try this on: according to Dell Cameron at WIRED, the more monetized monthly in-car services you subscribe to, the more access you're giving to the government and law enforcement.
A cache of more than two dozen police records recently reviewed by WIRED show US law enforcement agencies regularly trained on how to take advantage of "connected cars," with subscription-based features drastically increasing the amount of data that can be accessed during investigations. The records make clear that law enforcement's knowledge of the surveillance far exceeds that of the public, and reveal how corporate policies and technologies—not the law—determine driver privacy.
…Nearly all subscription-based car features rely on devices that come pre-installed in a vehicle, with a cellular connection only necessary to enable the automaker's recurring-revenue scheme. The ability of car companies to charge users to activate some features is effectively the only reason the car's systems need to communicate with cell towers. The police documents note that companies often hook customers into adopting the services through free trial offers, and in some cases, the devices are communicating with cell towers even when users decline to subscribe.
Yep, even if you choose not to pay for an in-car subscription, the hardware in your ride may still ping cellular towers or connected Wi-Fi, sending telemetry and location data on your vehicle's movements. Some of this information is sold to a third-party to generate more cash for the car manufacturer. Other data is used to figure out what subscriptions you might be interested in investing in based on how you use your car.
Even the most basic of late-model vehicles on the road today are jammed full of computers, all of which are deeply integrated into the operation of the vehicle. If the computers go down or, say, were to be worked over with an axe out of concern for one's privacy, the car simply would run, in many cases. That said, not all such computers send constant telemetry back to car companies or are waiting to have their data scooped by law enforcement. In some cases, what the computer does or doesn't do can only be accessed when it's hooked up to a mechanic's diagnostics machine. What's more, the amount of data spit out into the world by varies by the make and model of the vehicle you're driving. Some companies offer more stringent privacy policies than others.
If the issue of your station wagon leaking data is something that's gonna make you lose sleep at night, there are a few things you can do. First, check in on Mozilla's Privacy Not Included to bone up on what dirty tricks car makers have in common in the area of data collection. Then, think about heading over to The Electronic Frontier Foundation's website and read their rundown on what your car knows about you. While you're there, consider donating a few bucks to the EFF. They're fighting for everyone's privacy. With the current administration, doing what it does, they could use all of the help that they can get.
Previously:
• Shoshana Zuboff discusses her new book, 'Surveillance Capitalism'
• Cyprus launches exciting new journalist surveillance program
• FBI surveillance van from the 1980s on eBay
