Big Brother under your hood

[dknv]

A long article, but one that really makes you think about those black boxes under the covers of new cars.

http://autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=101136

Are we going to get to the point where "the only privacy left is inside your head"?

[sperry]

Originally Posted by dknv

A long article, but one that really makes you think about those black boxes under the covers of new cars.

http://autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=101136

Are we going to get to the point where "the only privacy left is inside your head"?

Psycologists will agrue that the privacy in your head has been violated already as well. And by the looks of how well marketing works on the sheep in this country, I'd tend to agree that most people are not strong minded enough to resist the Jedi Mind Trick.

These aren't the dryer sheets you're looking for.... try new Bounce Ultra...

[ScottyS]

Originally Posted by dknv

A long article, but one that really makes you think about those black boxes under the covers of new cars.

http://autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=101136

Are we going to get to the point where "the only privacy left is inside your head"?

Wow. I had no idea the things were already being implemented. I wonder if rental car companies are going to use this to their advantage....

[AtomicLabMonkey]

This spying crap is just going to get worse. In the forseeable future insurance companies will give "safe-driver"-like discounts to people who let them download/monitor their driving habits from data recorders... then after time has passed, and people have gotten used to the idea & the privacy outcries have stopped, they'll make it mandatory if you want insurance at all. And if you live in a state like california, where insurance is mandatory if you want to register a car, you'll have no choice but to have big brother watching you every time you start your car.

[Kevin M]

Someday it’ll happen, probably when you least expect it. Just as you countersteer while drifting out of a tight corner, or after you punch the brakes hard, you’ll hear the mechanically animated female voice emanating from your car’s audio system:

“Collision detected. Calling OnStar.”

No GM vehicles for any of us then, I guess.

[qksubi]

Only JDM for me YOOO

[sperry]

Actually, this situation has already been tested in the courts.

GPS systems installed in rental cars have had the ability to record location and speeds over the course of your trip. A rental company in MA added a "the renter will agree not to break any traffic laws during their trip" clause to the contract. Then charged customers that broke the speed limit according to the GPS record extra for violating the contract. The courts said they can't do that, but more importantly, they said the GPS info could only be used anonomously and not as specific data on the renter. So the precidence is leaning towards the rights of the consumer for now.

Plus, remember how our governement works, laws get passed or not for these reasons:

1) lobbyists buy off their representatives
2) supporting a law helps a representative get re-elected
3) the law affects the representative personally

Since a "black-box" law won't be popular with the public, and since representatives like to speed just like the rest of us, it's gonna take an ass-load of insurance company lobby money to get that passed... and even then I don't think it would be easy. Americans like to speed... which wouldn't actually be a big problem if we would actually teach people how to drive and keep the alcohol from behind the wheel.

[ScottyS]

Originally Posted by sperry

Plus, remember how our governement works, laws get passed or not for these reasons:

1) lobbyists buy off their representatives
2) supporting a law helps a representative get re-elected
3) the law affects the representative personally

Since a "black-box" law won't be popular with the public, and since representatives like to speed just like the rest of us, it's gonna take an ass-load of insurance company lobby money to get that passed... and even then I don't think it would be easy. Americans like to speed... which wouldn't actually be a big problem if we would actually teach people how to drive and keep the alcohol from behind the wheel.

Man, I hope you're right --- I can't afford to purchase and mothball a lifetime's supply of WRX's right now.

[dknv]

I rather think it'll go the way Austin suggested. Insurance companies will market to the consumers that we will 'get a discount' for letting them spy on us. People will think 'wow, way to save a few bucks'. Then eventually it will be accepted as the norm.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

Originally Posted by sperry

Since a "black-box" law won't be popular with the public, and since representatives like to speed just like the rest of us, it's gonna take an ass-load of insurance company lobby money to get that passed...

Well, the insurance lobby has the required metric ass-load of money to do it.

[Kevin M]

there have been cases where the black-box data was used in court cases over accidents and such, and IIRC it was ruled inadmissable. The data is the property of the owner of the car, and is therefore inadmissable under the 5th amendment. Or something. I forget- one of you who cares more should do a search, I'm sure it will turn up.