Context:

I don’t want the car reporting to insurance hard breaks and such. But frankly I just find these things creepy and I just want a base model car.

  • @dan1101@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    43 days ago

    Is there a way to disable the cellular antenna? Vehicle have to be prepared for dead spots. Maybe yours is always in a dead spot.

  • monovergent 🏁
    cake
    link
    fedilink
    163 days ago

    The effort needed to neuter surveillance equipment in modern cars without compromising functionality is comparable to the effort of sprucing up an older car. Possibly biased from driving and maintaining a decades-old car. Is there a particular reason you prefer a modern car?

    • SoyViking [he/him]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      53 days ago

      I’m used to driving old shitboxes but a few years ago we rented a completely new car. It was almost driving itself, making sure I stayed in my lane, it had automatic beam selection, a big screen for playing music and navigation, tiny little plastic thingies that pops out when you open the door making it harder to dent adjacent cars. It was a fucking spaceship. I’m not going to lie, I would love to have all of those fancy features.

  • @That_Devil_Girl@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    102 days ago

    Always remember that once you sign the dotted line, there’s no changing your mind later. That’s the advice I received in the Navy from my Chief. This is where doing your homework really pays off.

    When buying a car, try to plan ahead ten to twenty years. Most people don’t buy a new car every couple of years, so you’ll need a car that suits your needs for a long time.

    Are you planning on getting married and having kids one day? Maybe a minivan. Do you do a lot of trade work? Maybe a pickup truck. Are you just trying to get from point A to point B? Maybe just a regular four-seat car. Planning ahead will save you headaches in the future.

    Get something that’s easy to repair yourself, the spare parts are cheap, and are easily obtainable. Some brands are extremely difficult to fix yourself and that’s by design.

    As for car internet privacy, I don’t know what to tell you.

  • lattrommi
    link
    fedilink
    English
    23 days ago

    Dare I ask what you are doing in your car that requires privacy?

    Are you not wanting people to know where you go or are you beating off in the passing lane and don’t want to make accidental eye contact with anyone?

    Don’t answer those questions actually. I will assume what the answers might be and respond to whatever my imagination gives me.

    First things first, if you are beating off and don’t want anyone to see, get tinted windows. One way mirrors would be sweet but are probably illegal in most places. They would be nice for those a-holes that drive at night and have stupidly bright headlights. I could really see myself in a car with mirrored windows that aren’t one way mirrors.

    Others already covered that phones track everything and your car is harvesting all the data it can. Driving without a phone is exponentially safer than with one. That’s my opinion, I have no way to claim it as fact with any proof. Makes me wish phone booths were still a thing but I doubt one would fit in any modern car.

    Even if you secured the car or found an old one that worked well, you’d need to avoid every camera out there and even things like billboards. Billboards frequently have wifi or bluetooth by the way. They track the cars that drive by and the people that walk by. Not just the noticeably electronic ones, take a close look at a billboard sometime, especially if you can see behind it. You’ll likely find a device doing more than just powering spotlights on the crappy advertisement.

    Unless someone invents a wearable Faraday cage that isn’t obvious or constraining, you are not invisible to the all seeing eyes of technology.

    If you want vehicular privacy so no one knows you are buying illegal drugs, you’ll want to choose a place that’s secluded with a good view in all directions to avoid ambush from cops or gangs. Alternatively you could do a place that’s very busy, hide in plain sight. It depends on how much you trust your connection. I mean your drug dealer, not your internet plan.

    If you want car privacy to pick up a prostitute in a place where prostitution is illegal, simply say you only wish to film a pornography. This makes you a director, not a criminal. Maybe. I’m not a cop or a lawyer.

    If you want to be private in a car while you pick up a prostitute where it is legal, you can park beforehand and approach the individual or group on foot. You could also borrow a friends car or get a rental. It’s legal, you really could do it with any vehicle. Don’t hide your desires. Be free.

    If you seek privacy in your vehicle to work as a prostitute, regardless of legality, you probably will have a difficult time obtaining customers. A custom license plate that is crafted cleverly enough might do the trick. You could also make an account on OnlyVans.

    If you auto privacy is needed because your psycho ex is stalking you, go make some friends at the nearest gym and start carrying mace or a tazer. Wasp spray is a cheaper alternative to those. It has great range and is almost as effective at a fraction of the cost. Don’t hide, it’s time to fight back!

    If your privacy needs when driving are because you are stalking your ex, don’t do that, you psycho. It’s time to move on. Let them go. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Don’t worry if feel like you are going to die alone, because remember, in your car you are never truly alone. Technology is always watching. Even when you masturbate in your car.

    Hope this helps, drive safe!

    • @chloroken@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      3
      edit-2
      18 hours ago

      I love how nobody even bothers responding to this dumpster fire. Just downvotes. Hilarious.

  • Lime Buzz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    223 days ago

    Don’t get a tesla for one, apart from that try not to get any that has internet or other services if you can.

  • wuphysics87
    link
    fedilink
    32 days ago

    Are cars outside the United States more privacy conscious, or is this a gap in GDPR as well?

  • @Num10ck@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    53 days ago

    financially aim for minimal depreciation. typically thats buying a 3 year old car and selling it when its 6 or 7. try to find total cost of ownership data to minimize repair costs.

    practically find one that suits your needs.

    • @BilboBargains@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      32 days ago

      Interesting. I’ve been buying mine at 3 years and keeping them until they become uneconomic to repair. My current car is 11 and it’s still in great shape.

      What is the logic behind selling at 7? Are you considering increasing efficiency of new models and average maintenance burden?

      • @Num10ck@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        21 day ago

        the logic is depreciation. if you sold your car at 7 it is worth a lot more than at 11. imagine buying a 1 year old cellphone and selling it at 2 years old. compare that to buying a brand new cellphone and keeping it 6 years. the depreciation is related to the markets expectations of the items functionality vs it needing expensive repairs. a 3-7 year old car generally is reliable and considered functional. obviously different brands and models differ on these curves. a 7 year old honda is very different from a maserati.

  • ERROR: Earth.exe has crashed
    link
    fedilink
    English
    43 days ago

    I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t think you can really maintain privacy.

    Sure, maybe you can disable some antennas to stop your location from being broadcast, but there are cameras in ever major road, so you cant get far without being spotted by a camera. Cars can also store data locally, then if you take your to the dealership, they will access the data. So you’d have to find an individual car mechanic that doesn’t read this data, and at anytime, they can betray your trust. Not to mention, your phone is kinda already tracking you, so you’d have to turn that off as well, even dumbphones still have cellular triangulation and has even worse security. And whenever you need to use your phone, the carrier will know where you are.

    So I think in the modern world with all these cameras, you kinda have to accept that you ain’t gonna get much privacy.

    Or the alterative is to not have a phone on you when you travel, take public transport, cover your face, etc.

    If you want privacy, you’ll have to sacrifice convienience.

  • @WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    73 days ago

    Don’t forget that even if you can disable its network connection (which is still an important step to avoid remote control shenanigans), the data collection may still continue, and if that’s the case the make’s diagnostic software will forward it to the cloud the next time your car is at service. I’m afraid that can’t be avoided.

  • ℕ𝕖𝕞𝕠
    link
    fedilink
    133 days ago

    Here’s my advice: Don’t buy a car. Ride a bike or take public transit. Walk whenever possible.

    • NeoToasty
      link
      fedilink
      143 days ago

      Those options aren’t really ideal.

      What if they live in the middle of no where? And their job commute is 1 hour out? Biking would take double the time and they’d have to leave very early to make it on time.

      Not every town has public transit either. Mostly it’s the cities that do, metropolitan areas especially. But, not a lot of towns offer travel luxuries.

      • ℕ𝕖𝕞𝕠
        link
        fedilink
        83 days ago

        Travel luxuries? Cars are the luxury. Living a hour from where you work is a “luxury”.

        Saying someone needs a car to make up for their poor lifestyle choices doesn’t mean they need a car, it means they need better choices.

        • @PerogiBoi@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          243 days ago

          “You being born in a rural area and not able to move to a higher cost of living city with public transit is a poor life choice on your part”

          Literal clown take🤡

        • catsarebadpeople
          link
          fedilink
          93 days ago

          “If people aren’t exactly like me, they’re bad people”

          You’re a bigot and a xenophobe

        • @bobs_monkey@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          63 days ago

          Ah right, not wanting to live in a metropolis and wanting to live in the mountains with fewer people, cleaner air, and cleaner water, and also working a trade that requires hauling tools and equipment to job sites are poor lifestyle choices, got it.

        • @nick@midwest.social
          link
          fedilink
          153 days ago

          So living in a rural area is a poor lifestyle choice?

          Where do you think your food comes from?

          You anticar zealots are out of touch with reality.

    • @1984@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      4
      edit-2
      3 days ago

      Modern cars are amazing and you are missing out a lot by not having one. Public transport makes me want to kill myself. I would go as far as saying that you don’t even grow into a full person unless you have a car.

      • @Chulk@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        23 days ago

        I feel like a bigger indicator of being a “full person” is getting over fear/disgust of public transit. I know plenty of people who are more well-adjusted than I am who don’t own a car.

        • @1984@lemmy.today
          link
          fedilink
          1
          edit-2
          3 days ago

          That’s like saying we shouldn’t prefer nature and tranquility over street noise. I agree that we should be able to handle the situation but when given the choice, we should make a choice that makes us happy.

          I have. The car makes me feel good. Life is just an experience. Have fun. :)

    • HatchetHaro
      link
      fedilink
      4
      edit-2
      2 days ago

      we all know american car-centric infrastructure is fuckin evil.

      look, you probably know this already, but cars are still the only practical option for most americans; they don’t really have a choice. suburbia is subsidized, and so it simply makes financial sense to live in the suburbs, especially if they can’t afford to live closer to where they work and shop.

      it’s great that you care about transportation infrastructure. engage in discussions to inform, of course, but do recognize that it’s policy, not people, at fault.