Agreed this is a huge concern. The article also highlights another concern in insurers introducing data port devices offering cheaper insurance. In Australia an insurer called QBE has introduced an "Insurance Box" I pulled their privacy policy out of interest. https://www.qbe.com.au/personal/quote/vehicle/insurance-box See anything concerning here? ..... What really worries me is that they are trying to use this to bully young drivers into installing it as the only viable way for them to get affordable insurance.
Multiple things and I'm sure we would identify more if we focused on it. Question is, does the typical consumer? Well I'm no young driver and my insurance agent here in the US tried to pitch me a somewhat similar device. They can twist the financial thumb-screws on pretty much anyone/everyone if they want to.
Well, there are different types of boxes with different capabilities. Looks like EDR inclusion goes back to at least 1994: http://harristechnical.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/HTS_CDR_List.pdf. I think you'd have to do make/model/year specific research on your vehicle of interest, identify what it has in terms of black boxes, then dig into how those boxes work. I think a "crash data box" wouldn't be of much concern *if* it is properly designed to keep data to a minimum and only about the moment of a crash. However, data logging has expanded to include more information and it is kept for longer. Some of that does in fact greatly assist with troubleshooting and repair. You probably wouldn't mind your mechanic and/or self having access to it. However, it being uploaded to manufacturers, their partners, and/or other parties... that's a different ball of wax. Which is something that mechanics might do via their systems, is something that an on-board radio might do, etc. Now we have apps and Internet connectivity and advertising/tracking related features being built into many vehicles. So we are definitely at a point where every new vehicle purchase should involve some research/discussion on it and every car forum should have a section on in-car privacy. If you are lucky you'll get some feedback from an honest mechanic, tech minded enthusiast, or someone else that knows something useful.
In Australia younger drivers need to accumulate a no claim bonus which starts at 0% and goes to 60% climibing 10% per year. The bonus is a discount on the base insurance for a driver of that age. When I was 18 my base insurance was about $1,500 for $5,000 vehicle. Once I hit 25 with a 60% no claim bonus I was paying $480 for $20,000 vehicle. The financial difference is staggering in Australia. I am sure that in the next year or so there will be a vehicle privacy section in the forums. It is too specialized for anything other than a privacy forum and car vendors will want to kill any provacy discussion.
I bet the market is quite good for this in Cuba now that we can smoke the "good" cigars - they have quite an industry for keeping the old cars going down there (don't know what the purchase values vs import costs are though)! -- Tom
"Your Car Is Spying on You, and a CBP Contract Shows the Risks A “vehicle forensics kit” can reveal where you’ve driven, what doors you opened, and who your friends are. U.S. Customs and Border Protection purchased technology that vacuums up reams of personal information stored inside cars, according to a federal contract reviewed by The Intercept, illustrating the serious risks in connecting your vehicle and your smartphone... The contract, shared with The Intercept by Latinx advocacy organization Mijente, shows that CBP paid Swedish data extraction firm MSAB $456,073 for a bundle of hardware including five iVe “vehicle forensics kits” manufactured by Berla, an American company. A related document indicates that CBP believed the kit would be 'critical in CBP investigations as it can provide evidence [not only] regarding the vehicle’s use, but also information obtained through mobile devices paired with the infotainment system.'... ...So many drivers are oblivious to the fact that their cars are generating so much data in the first place, often including extremely sensitive information inadvertently synced from smartphones..." https://www.wilderssecurity.com/thr...eroding-personal-privacy.387856/#post-2610197
