The Impending Privacy Threat of Self-Driving Cars
www.eff.org
Within a few years, fully self-driving cars have gone from science fiction to a very common reality for people in San Francisco with other places in the U.S. also testing the new technology. With innovations often come unintended consequences—one of which is the massive collection of data required...

Summary:

  • Self-driving cars collect a massive amount of data, including visual and other information.
  • This data could be used to track people’s movements, which could pose a threat to privacy.
  • There is a lot of uncertainty about how this data is stored, secured, and accessed.
  • Law enforcement agencies have already served warrants to self-driving car companies for footage.
  • It is important to have strong privacy laws that address the data collected by self-driving cars.
  • We need to know more about how much footage police request and how companies respond to these requests.
  • Regulators need to consider the civil liberties implications of self-driving car data collection.
  • JackGreenEarth@lemm.eeEnglish
    5·
    11 months ago

    We need to have free open source software for the cars. Of course, the hardware, the car itself, should cost money, but it’s important to have the software open source so it can be carefully examined.

    • grue@lemmy.mlEnglish
      2·
      11 months ago

      I’m already avoiding buying new cars because of this issue for a while now. My newest car is from 2005, and I intend to keep it that way.

      It sucks that all the electric cars are ruined by spying, but at least I’m happy with the e-bike I bought this spring.

  • steebo_jack@kbin.social
    3·
    11 months ago

    If you use google maps and you get their monthly “look at all the places you went last month” emails, this is already happening…not sure if you can opt out of the tracking but that would be a good start…

    • Black_Gulaman@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      3·
      11 months ago

      I bet when you opt out, they just stop sending you notices but will still have the tracking that only they can see, then justifying it as necessary data to keep the apps working properly.

      • thbb@kbin.social
        1·
        11 months ago

        I do keep this monthly reminder that all my moves are tracked. I find it’s better to be kept aware of this than to play it like an ostrich.

        This said, in Europe at least, opting out of this service should force google to drop your data, and retain it only in aggregate forms that do not allow reidentifying you.