After the recent article about car privacy that Mozilla put out, I want to ensure my cars have no internet connection. Is there a good website to find any privacy issues for each car and how to disable them?
I don’t want to post my make and model here.
It will vary, but make and model will be important.
There are many make and model specific forums out there you can consult.
Even among a single model, you have choices.
Take the current Toyota 4Runner, you have options:
Remove fuse that powers the cellular radio. This works but will take the microphone with it. Things will vary widely - Toyota just ties the Data Connection Module to the mic but nothing else that we can tell.
Disconnect antennae behind HVAC controls, this is not completely effective. This may or may not be related to the radio antenna.
Call Toyota to disable the radio, this won’t be instant but is what I plan to do. I believe you can do that by hitting the SOS button.
I read of speculation of combining 2 with covering the box with foil, haven’t seen anyone actually do it.
You should also figure out the specific tech in your car since the 3G network sunset left a lot of cars behind.
But that’s a good thing, no? Is there any good reason to use the car’s mic?
Not necessarily since it’s used for calls if your phone’s hooked up.
Hooking your phone up to your car is one of the worse things you can possibly do privacy-wise. If you’re going to do that, you can save yourself the trouble and keep the car’s internet, GPS, microphone and camera turned on.
It’s a sliding scale not an all for nothing. Privacy varies from carrier, smartphone platform, blah blah. I rather keep it from an auto manufacturer given their poor technology practices, inclination to give it to insurance companies, etc.
And after all, you can leave your phone at home or buy multiple, but not necessarily a car.
And for something a little more direct, Kia or a given make hypothetically wont be able to root through my phone’s location data to try to deny a warranty claim or if it makes it just a little more difficult I’m okay with that. #spite
A similar note is not signing up for insurance tracking of your vehicle. Just because you own and plug in a phone doesn’t mean you might as well install an insurance gadget and let them increase your premiums based on “unsafe driving” (such as braking a little to hard at a yellow light instead of just cruising smoothly through a red, or maybe full throttle application)
It is all or nothing in this case. You disconnect your car antenna just so you can connect it to a second antenna in your phone. You do end up getting nothing.
This also brings the added benefit of letting the manufacturers know that people are tired of their shit.