Who is collecting data from your vehicle

[ATCclears]

A firehose of sensitive data from your vehicle is flowing to a group of companies you've probably never heard of

Who Is Collecting Data from Your Car? – The Markup

A firehose of sensitive data from your vehicle is flowing to a group of companies you’ve probably never heard of

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[made in china]

In many vehicles you can disable the telematics module without consequence, unless it's an electric vehicle that relies on ota upgrades.

My wife's new Toyota Corolla has the ability to transmit everything except video back to Toyota. So I disabled the telematics in it.

At this point in time you have no legal obligation to not disable telematics, and it shouldn't affect the warranty of your vehicle unless it specifically needs ota, like a Tesla.

I suppose soon that will change.

 

[Ruger Rich]

In many vehicles you can disable the telematics module without consequence, unless it's an electric vehicle that relies on ota upgrades.

My wife's new Toyota Corolla has the ability to transmit everything except video back to Toyota. So I disabled the telematics in it.

At this point in time you have no legal obligation to not disable telematics, and it shouldn't affect the warranty of your vehicle unless it specifically needs ota, like a Tesla.

I suppose soon that will change.

It's my understanding that in addition to the potentially personal information collected there may

be an occasional benefit. In an accident there are specifics collected, speed, direction, etc. that

may help your cause assuming your not the cause.

 

[made in china]

It's my understanding that in addition to the potentially personal information collected there may

be an occasional benefit. In an accident there are specifics collected, speed, direction, etc. that

may help your cause assuming your not the cause.

These cars can also call a customer care center if the airbags are deployed to ask if you're ok, they can then call 911 if needed. However, pretty much everyone has a cell phone, and if you're in an area of reception it's highly likely that someone witnessed the accident and calls 911 anyways.

As for the data leading up to the accident, it is my understanding that it would need to be subpoenaed, most manufacturers won't just give it to you. And usually, subpoena doesn't occur unless serious injury or death occurred.
Even if your telematics were disabled, it's still available in the "black box", which again needs to be subpoenaed as the info must be recovered by qualified entity, usually the OEM.

 

[Ruger Rich]

Well it seems like it's many other things in our life.

They just GOTCHA

 

[made in china]

Well it seems like it's many other things in our life.

They just GOTCHA

Yup, but if people wanted to, they can defeat both the telematics and "black boxes". There are no legal obligations to that equipment being untampered.

We just kinda accept it. I don't see too big a deal, I just like being able to not provide marketable data.

 

[Xaevian]

Didn't know the answer to the question, and was gonna ask Alexa, but before I could, she said, "No one cares about where you've been or what you are doing in your car, so pay the nice lady, zip up, and clean your seats."

 

[Member 34319]

My wife's new Toyota Corolla has the ability to transmit everything except video back to Toyota. So I disabled the telematics in it.

However, pretty much everyone has a cell phone,

Hope you disabled her cell phone too, otherwise that was a lot of work for nothing.

 

[made in china]

Hope you disabled her cell phone too, otherwise that was a lot of work for nothing.

We agree to have our smartphones collect certain data. Most types of smartphones also have the ability to opt out of many tracking and data collecting operations.

Plus, we can just turn off our smartphones or leave them somewhere.

You can't do that if your vehicle has the same system baked-in.

You need to consider, certainly at the moment vehicle manufacturers aren't being nefarious with the data. But, how long before they agree to allow insurance companies and/or the government access to your vehicle data?

We disabled telematics because it's legal, doesn't void warranty and I don't want to give anyone any ideas about farming data from my machine that I didn't consent to.
My wife's car is a 2020 Toyota. When I bought it, no where on the bill of sale or during the sales process did Toyota notify us, nor did they allow us options about the data they collect. The only option they offered was to extend our trial period of Toyota Connect. It's lapsed and they continued to collect data.

Oh, you must fancy yourself quite the whitty one....

 

[Member 34319]

We agree to have our smartphones collect certain data. Most types of smartphones also have the ability to opt out of many tracking and data collecting operations.

Plus, we can just turn off our smartphones or leave them somewhere.

You can't do that if your vehicle has the same system baked-in.

You need to consider, certainly at the moment vehicle manufacturers aren't being nefarious with the data. But, how long before they agree to allow insurance companies and/or the government access to your vehicle data?

We disabled telematics because it's legal, doesn't void warranty and I don't want to give anyone any ideas about farming data from my machine that I didn't consent to.
My wife's car is a 2020 Toyota. When I bought it, no where on the bill of sale or during the sales process did Toyota notify us, nor did they allow us options about the data they collect. The only option they offered was to extend our trial period of Toyota Connect. It's lapsed and they continued to collect data.

Oh, you must fancy yourself quite the whitty one....

I guarantee you signed something, with some vague description of what data is being tracked and used for when you purchased the vehicle. If not signed, at least some user agreement that was never read was likely clicked. They make it difficult to find that's for sure.

Smart phones may have a placebo button to make one feel better that they aren't being tracked using one, but that's not been the case. It has been proven that they track regardless, even when turned off. In other words, if it is off, in a glovebox going to the store with you, it knows you are going to the store, and likely even knows it is in the glovebox.

Also, I'm a bit whitty, but mostly nutty!

 

[made in china]

I guarantee you signed something, with some vague description of what data is being tracked and used for when you purchased the vehicle. If not signed, at least some user agreement that was never read was likely clicked. They make it difficult to find that's for sure.

Smart phones may have a placebo button to make one feel better that they aren't being tracked using one, but that's not been the case. It has been proven that they track regardless, even when turned off. In other words, if it is off, in a glovebox going to the store with you, it knows you are going to the store, and likely even knows it is in the glovebox.

Also, I'm a bit whitty, but mostly nutty!

I'll admit, that was the fastest new car purchase I ever did. I just went in, pointed to car, wrote a check and had the keys in under an hour.
There may have been some fine print on the Toyota Connect statement or brochure, but no one made me sign anything other than the usual sales paperwork and title work.

You know you're right that the phone probably doesn't really turn off. It's my conspiracy theory about why the industry moved away from removable batteries. They say it's for tidier packaging, which is true, but it also has a side benefit of the phone having a power source that can't be pulled. Even when a battery is "dead" that's decided by the software. It just puts phone into deep hibernation.

Hence why I said leave it somewhere.

 

[pdxjimbo]

I guarantee you signed something, with some vague description of what data is being tracked and used for when you purchased the vehicle. If not signed, at least some user agreement that was never read was likely clicked. They make it difficult to find that's for sure.

Smart phones may have a placebo button to make one feel better that they aren't being tracked using one, but that's not been the case. It has been proven that they track regardless, even when turned off. In other words, if it is off, in a glovebox going to the store with you, it knows you are going to the store, and likely even knows it is in the glovebox.

Also, I'm a bit whitty, but mostly nutty!

Might want to consider getting a Faraday Bag for phones

Faraday Bag(2 Pack),RFID Signal Blocking Bag Shielding Pouch Wallet Case for Cell Phone Privacy Protection and Car Key FOB, Anti-Tracking Anti-Spying（Black)

https://www.amazon.com/Blocking-Shielding-Protection-Anti-Tracking-Anti-Spying/dp/B07JWF1WT4/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=ws1bR&content-id=amzn1.sym.bbb6bbd8-d236-47cb-b42f-734cb0cacc1f&pf_rd_p=bbb6bbd8-d236-47cb-b42f-734cb0cacc1f&pf_rd_r=7HB3AKHG6A5CK5PMY928&pd_rd_wg=vYN0k&pd_rd_r=bd01a509-987b-4b59-aae8-e0dc3fe6c78a&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi

 

[Siglvr]

....

We disabled telematics because it's legal, doesn't void warranty and I don't want to give anyone any ideas about farming data from my machine that I didn't consent to.
My wife's car is a 2020 Toyota. When I bought it, no where on the bill of sale or during the sales process did Toyota notify us, nor did they allow us options about the data they collect. The only option they offered was to extend our trial period of Toyota Connect. It's lapsed and they continued to collect data.

2021 Toyota owner here. The car has a lot of electronics, adaptive cruise control, self steering/lane change, car next and people behind warnings. Can you share:

1st) How you determined that your car was sending data.
2nd) How you determined that the data being sent was superfluous and unneeded for car operation
3rd) How and what you did to fix the issue

Thanks

 

[made in china]

2021 Toyota owner here. The car has a lot of electronics, adaptive cruise control, self steering/lane change, car next and people behind warnings. Can you share:

1st) How you determined that your car was sending data.
2nd) How you determined that the data being sent was superfluous and unneeded for car operation
3rd) How and what you did to fix the issue

Thanks

1. All cars with a mobile data connection are capable of communicating with mother ship at any time. Toyota can call on the telematics of the car even though the owner may not be paying a subscription bill (Toyota Connect). Additionally, the telematics module has wi-fi. I have not looked into that yet. Obviously it doesn't go onto my protected home network without my permission, but when passing by free wi-fi, who knows?

2. Why is the telematics module even there and nearly always "alive"?? It's not an option/accessory you can decline, it's always there, almost always on. All data coming from my car on a back channel is "superfluous" and since a Toyota is not a Tesla (ours isn't even a Hybrid) there is zero case for "car operation" as Toyota does not issue car fixes OTA.

3. Behind the head unit is a plastic box for telematics. It has several antenna connectors. I disconnected them. These types of wireless systems can not function when their antennas are disconnected. The antennas might be in the bump or shark fin if your car has one, ours is next to the hatch. As far as the telematics module is concerned, it is always out of range, unable to find signal. With Toyotas using TSS 2.0 and Toyota Connect, if you completely unplug the telematics module, the left-front stereo speaker will cease to work, as that channel is routed through the telematics for when you call customer support through your car. BTW, have you used the red button to chat with Toyota? You can call Toyota customer service anytime you want, unless you've disconnected the telematics.

Here's a pic of the telematics module, I disconnected the 3 "tombstone" shaped antenna connectors:


BTW, I work in the ITS industry, and work with all manner of communications tech. We also use cellular modems, and even when there is no data transfer in the connected devices, the cellular modems have quite frequent activity, even if we pull the SIM card, Verizon or Sprint can still see the modem remotely and manipulate it to a certain extent. So, even when you think there's no data activity, there actually is, constantly. Disconnect the antenna or power down and it's completely offline.

 

[Siglvr]

Thanks for the reply! I've got the Toyota "safety sense" in my hybrid that has the lane assist self driving thing, and reactive cruise control that will pace the car in front and not hit them if they stop. I just know that if I unplug the BS it will all but stop working and I'll have a hefty bill to reconnect it.

 

[made in china]

Thanks for the reply! I've got the Toyota "safety sense" in my hybrid that has the lane assist self driving thing, and reactive cruise control that will pace the car in front and not hit them if they stop. I just know that if I unplug the BS it will all but stop working and I'll have a hefty bill to reconnect it.

The TSS 2.0 in our Toyota still functions after unplugging the antennas. The telematics module just thinks it's in a no service zone.