Merkley introduces 'Car Privacy Rights Act' in bid to protect drivers' data - KTVZ
ktvz.com
WASHINGTON (KTVZ) -- Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley announced Thursday the introduction of new legislation to protect consumers’ privacy from companies who collect and sell Americans’ car data. Currently, he said, there is a troubling trend of collecting, storing, and selling data from Americans’ vehicles – largely without drivers’ knowledge. Recent reporting has even documented automakers selling the
  • OhmsLawn@lemmy.world
    75·
    3 months ago

    While I appreciate this, it would be really nice if they would just extend to all electronic devices.

    • penquin@lemm.ee
      29·
      3 months ago

      I truly believe that this will happen, too, as there has been a lot of uproar about this bullshit of data collection all over the world. Corporations are going too far with this even corrupt politicians now think it’s too much.

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.worldEnglish
      251·
      3 months ago

      data brokerage is a multi-billion dollar industry with entire armies of lobyists from Google, Apple, Tesla (probably) and who knows who else.

      just in case you were wondering why it’s not already done.

  • tal@lemmy.todayOPEnglish
    41·
    3 months ago

    Note, just to be clear, that this is federal legislation, not Oregon state legislation.

    • Psychodelic@lemmy.world
      6·
      3 months ago

      I’ve never been as proud of my state representatives as I was when I lived in Oregon. Wyden and Merkley are American heroes, as far as I’m concerned

  • NaibofTabr@infosec.pubEnglish
    23·
    3 months ago

    (D), in case anyone was in doubt. Also:

    The Car Privacy Rights Act is cosponsored by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

    • Psychodelic@lemmy.world
      5·
      3 months ago

      Not with that attitude. Seriously, we’ll need to be absolutely furious if we ever want something to be done about something we care about

      Does anyone remember anger?

        • Psychodelic@lemmy.world
          1·
          3 months ago

          Idk, I see liberals telling everyone to be calm and content and that the economy is great and getting better.

          I totally get the reason and vibe they’re going for, but they’re basically saying don’t be righteously furious and ignore reality, imo, while they capitulate on claims that crime and immigration are bigger problems. I guess, I just don’t know that significant economic/social change has ever happened without pissed-off people fighting like their lives depend on it

          Most people I know know about the drake beef and the Diddy scandal, but I couldn’t even count like 5 people that I know personally that could name their senators or explain what the electoral college is.

          I think most of us prefer to ignore our emotions, and I think anything related to politics beings up uncomfortable emotions for people so they just don’t do it and stay away from the topic

  • Erasmus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    16·
    3 months ago

    Betcha we will see insurance companies come out of the woodwork to lobby against this like crazy.

  • penquin@lemm.ee
    16·
    3 months ago

    About freaking time, man. This one has always been on my mind. It can’t be like that. It’s messed up. Glad someone is making a move.

  • SirDerpy@lemmy.world
    102·
    3 months ago

    It’s the before times, analog days, and the Internet was in it’s infancy. Stephan Hawking, a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author, said the following:

    For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk and we learned to listen. Speech has allowed the communication of ideas, enabling human beings to work together to build the impossible. Mankind’s greatest achievements have come about by talking, and its greatest failures by not talking. It doesn’t have to be like this. Our greatest hopes could become reality in the future. With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.

    Computers have been very effective applied to vehicles. In my life I’ve seen the advent of the aluminum block, anti-lock brakes and stability control, variable ignition and valve timing, more aerodynamic body, paddle shift and continuously variable transmissions, drive by wire, now even hybrid and electric drives. This has allowed leaps forward in safety, efficiency, and performance.

    Then, we enshitified. Today there’s barely choice in the vehicle market. Toyota/Honda; Hyundai/Kia; Ford/Chevy/Chrysler and a trim package defines everything but trucks. 1/2 ton trucks as symbols of identity break repeatedly if regularly used for payload and towing. “Choice” is a 1/4 Ranger, 1/2 Chevy diesel, or 3/4 Ford/Chevy/Ram. They didn’t make the first two for decades, still scarce and expensive for what they are. And, for all vehicles one now often needs to remove inaccessible bolts in tight spaces, for several parts, to get to the part that’s broken.

    Profit optimization through technology is why there’s little choice in vehicles; Why you can envision a Walmart and Lowes strip mall and every American knows exactly what it looks like and where the closest couple copies are; Why we can’t replace phone batteries and screens. An out-of-the-box idea from AI that’s also conveniently practical for humans will probably cure cancer. AI is also what’s analyzing all the data being collected, just as inhumanely. The vehicle manufacturers want their cut.

    Did Herbert envision that the spice of prescience was computational cycles?

  • spyd3r@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    22·
    3 months ago

    I have a pretty effective way of maintaining privacy in my car, simple too: don’t buy anything that doesn’t have a carburetor.