Car Data: Safe Enough to Sell, But Not For Repairs?
General Motors caught red-handed selling data without drivers' consent—don't worry, it made insurance companies money. Also: Is soldered RAM here to stay?
A report from the New York Times shows that car manufacturers, including General Motors, have been selling detailed driver behavior data without their consent, which in some cases is being used to surveil and hike up insurance rate for drivers.
Car companies are well aware that the software on board their cars is lucrative business. Not only are occasional features in cars now subject to paywalls, but we are also being reminded with each of these scandals that virtually every internet connected device we use is collecting data which can then be sold.
Car makers want their cake and to eat it too. They want both the right to sell the data of drivers and also withhold data in other cases. If data makes a company money, such as the data being sold to insurance companies, it is then deemed “safe” to share. On the other hand, data that could be going to independent repair shops who could eat into car company’s revenue from repair services, companies would are incentivized to deem this data “unsafe”. This dynamic means that buying a car is no longer the end of your relationship with the manufacturer. Repairs made at home or by independent repairers is made more difficult because car companies can use software to continue to control vehicles after they leave the dealers’ lot.
Car companies fighting against automotive right-to-repair have long been arguing that they are withhold information under the guise that it would be unsafe. But while companies frequently hide behind the argument they are simply prioritizing data privacy, R.J. Cross from U.S. PIRG writes that “the secretive wheeling and dealing of consumers’ personal data means that there’s a world of data breaches, identity theft and targeted scams right around the corner.”
All the while, governments are bending over backwards to negate overwhelmingly popular referendums where voters directly said yes to automotive right-to-repair. A lack of accountability and regulatory action is allowing this trend to continue, but more robust laws could reshape corporate behavior. Both right to repair and data privacy laws could ensure that securing personal information is a priority, not just a hollow and case-dependent promise.
But there are bigger concerns about data privacy than just cars. Paid subscribers can stay tuned for more on the topic of data privacy soon…
Other News
Laptop owners are up in arms about soldered RAM because it limits repair and upgrades. Soldering RAM to the motherboard of a computer, while leading to thinner laptops, means that you cannot make upgrades should you want to hold onto your laptop for longer. From gamers to environmentalists, there are many reasons why people are up in arms about the shift to this design choice. Monica J. White at Digital Trends “some of the previously top-shelf gaming laptops have now made the stealthy switch to soldered RAM” and that sometimes its even hard to figure out if a laptop has soldered RAM.
Right to repair is being seen as an e-waste solution as global electronic waste is expected to rise 30% by 2030. Other solutions, like design choices from manufacturers, increasing access to repairs, and lengthening software supports will all be essential beyond forcing companies to sell parts and offer information on how to repair their products.
Listen to this podcast episode on “fast tech” from For Tech’s Sake.
Apple’s model of customer lock-in stems from declining iPhone sales, says Allison Johnson at The Verge. Despite being such a popular phone in the U.S. the decrease in their sales is requiring the company to secure profit in other places, such as their App Store where they levy hefty fees for the privilege to sell on their platform. Johnson says is hope to be found, with legal actions with Epic Games and more recently the U.S. Department of Justice that are pointing to Apple opening up it’s “walled garden.”