Thursday, August 28, 2014

BIG BROTHER IS GOING TO KNOW WHERE YOU DRIVE: Cars in the US Might Soon Be Mandated to Broadcast Speed and Location Data

The United States Department of Transportation is taking the next step towards creating a “vehicle-to-vehicle” communications system. The system implemented would mandate that all light autos on the road receive and broadcast critical information to one another, reports RT.

The purpose is ostensibly to "save lives" by helping drivers avoid crashes. Earlier this year, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said that V2V technology “represents the next generation of auto safety improvements,” and is an appropriate next step after safety belts and air bags.

BUT, get this, the details, that would be delivered, contain vehicle-specific information that would put data like speed and direction in the hands of other drivers, and at a minimum, police cars.

The technical report reads, "when a DSRC unit sends out a BSM, the BSM needs to: Contain the relevant elements and describe them accurately (e.g., vehicle speed; GPS position; vehicle heading; DSRC message ID, etc.).”

A Ford executive recently tried to back away from an earlier truth telling about new automobile  tracking capabilities.

Ford’s Jim Farley told Business Insider that he didn’t accurately portray the company’s operations with regards to recording and logging user data with new smart car technology when he told a crowd at the CES electronics show in January in Las Vegas, “We know everyone who breaks the law, [and[ we know when you're doing it”

He now tells BI, "I absolutely left the wrong impression about how Ford operates. We do not track our customers in their cars without their approval or their consent. The statement I made in my eyes was hypothetical and I want to clear this up."

Bottom line: The automobile tracking technology is here and the DOT wants to mandate that it is in every new car produced by automakers.

-RW

5 comments:

  1. As for the ford man's statements, i think that is known as a gaffe.

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  2. It's impossible for Ford's system to send such things back to the mothership without a person's knowledge. Ford's SYNC system relies on a personal cell phone to report data. I have not heard a single story of something being reported to Ford automatically. While I haven't kept up with mustang forums, recently, it certainly would have appeared there in the last several years.

    OnStar over at GM however has all the wireless equipment on board necessary to do so and it's active even if a person does not subscribe. There are countless stories where GM OnStar operators have contacted drivers when they've pushed the cars a little too hard and that tripped the sensors.

    Furthermore, On-Star can be crippled by disconnecting the antenna. this leaves in unable to communicate. For these local network systems the same modification should work.

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  3. One step closer to fulfilling the prophecy that is the move Idiocracy.

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  4. Hacking skills will be much sought after not only in dealing with the state but also dealing with the business big brother nuisance.

    ReplyDelete