Toyota Spyware

We saw you visited TacomaWorld... on a FRIDAY. Your warranty is now voided.

 

As someone who works in tech, I have *very* little faith in companies to manage data correctly. Over and over they've proven that they can't. See LinkedIn, Experian, CapitalOne, Facebook, yahoo!, adultfriendfinder, myspace, equifax, uber, home depot, ashley madison, marriot, etc. All had data breaches.

I would much prefer a company not have any data in the first place, let alone collect it directly from a vehicle.

 

Ugh. If it wasn't Friday, this thread would already have been nuked.

Just what we need today - another person with credit cards, a bank account, web browsers, and a cell phone complaining about data tracking.

 

@23Skidoo

 

Just don’t claim warranty when you were out in the middle of the bush offroading. Tough to say you were just driving along when they know the lat and long of where you had the issue.

 

It amazes me how many people don't give a shit that thier data is being collected.

 

It's just that your truck is the least of your worries. Your phone, tablet, computer, alexa, ring doorbell, ISP, Cell phone provider, hell even a tesla.... all collect 100x more data than our trucks do. Also, happy friday!

 

Doesn't anyone find it way more worrisome that the IRS has all of your financial information? Vehicle data tracking is a fucking joke in comparison, lol. Some of y'all are wild.

 

When aren't we being tracked by some type of technology?

 

Good grief, the Muggles have hijacked a simple question: has anyone succeeded in getting Toyota to honor their promise?

FWIW; I retired from a technical career in the (govt) big data world. I consider myself reasonably informed about how data can be (ab)used in ways that are, um, unanticipated by Muggles.

I respect your choice to be watched by Toyota and anyone they choose - there are indeed real benefits. Likewise; I expect you to respect my choice.

I have considered yanking the DCM, but there are other features that I wish to continue using.

 

unless you are visiting literal gold mines, i fail to see how this is the case.

 

Did you contact your dealer? I would think that they could use the Techstream to turn it off?

Another thread

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-can-i-permanently-disable-toyota-gps-tracking.708749/

 

Think about if you followed someone driving around all the time. You watched every turn, every acceleration and deceleration, every stop at the liquor store, don't you think you'd learn some valuable information about that person? Not to mention the nefarious uses of that same data in the hands of a bad actor.

 

Hey, 0xDEADBEEF ... do you happen to enjoy 0xBADC0FFE?

Two local dealers declined:

- One said that Toyota does not permit them to-do it. I rather doubt that ...

- Another dealer told me that the truck will not run without a working DCIM. Oh? While he watched, I pulled the fuse, started the Taco and drove away.

 

Someone here made a tin foil hat for the shark fin antenna in the roof.

 

So... you're concerned that Toyota would have the ability to deny a false warranty claim? If you're offroad and break something on your truck, that is not a valid warranty coverage situation. Despite the marketing, these trucks are not covered for those situations.

You gotta pay to play.

 

So, is that the solution? If you knew that, what did you need the dealer for?

 

Real life story:

I'm at work talking (just talking, no phone call, no email, no typed messages at all...talking, in person, with voices) to a co-worker about XXXXXX (don't remember what). We both had our phones in our pockets, but not in use. The next day, we're on FB at the same time, apparently...and he says from the other room "Hey, did you just get an ad on FB about XXXXXX?"..."Yea, about 5 minutes ago...thought it was weird but, just coincidence"....."Don't think it's coincidence"

Now, if they can listen for advertising reasons, and you believe that they wont listen for other reasons if they decide they just feel like it....you're kidding yourself. Not everyone that has access to that ability (to listen) is a good person.

And yes I understand most of it or even the vast majority is a computer listening for keywords and ignoring the rest. But if a computer can listen, so can a human if they so choose. And so can the government (LE, etc.) if they think they have a reason....or even if they don't. "But, wire tap laws"....mmhmmm, and I guess that would be the first time a government agency broke the law.

Going to get off track, but what the hell....it's the same with the ability to shut your car down "if they have a lawful reason"...car chase, etc. If the right people can shut it down remotely for the right reasons...you can bet your ass the wrong people can shut it down for the wrong reasons.

You want your wife/daughter driving down some dark highway at night knowing that if some cop (or not a cop that got ahold of the technology) decides he'd like to get a better look, he has the ability to have her car shut down in just the right secluded spot that nobody will ever come by?

Anything someone can do to you for legitimate reasons, whether you know they're doing it or not, can also be done for illegitimate reasons.

End Rant

 

My favorite is people who willingly give up their DNA just to find out what their personal DNA "smoothie" is made up of. I remember telling my son that government agencies would press to have access to these DNA databases and he said that I was just a paranoid Boomer.

Well, like most things I have an opinion on, I was right. It's not like they have unfettered access to it (they have to follow specified processes), but they absolutely can and do use it.