2020 data transmittal

I received an email saying "Your vehicle wirelessly transmits location, driving and vehicle health data to deliver your services and for internal research and data analysis. To disable these features including active safety features, call 1‑800‑331‑4331."

That means that I have to call in and opt out of the transmittal of my data, not opt in. The Russian speaking agent at the 800 # (sorry, but disconcerting) says that they won't use the information unless I listen to a legal document and verbally commit. Note the wording USE not gather.

I was also shown an ad for a special insurance policy based on the transmittal of my driving history... I would NEVER give them the right, and this capability has worried me since obd2. The fact that it's there means it's obtainable by law enforcement and if it's transmitting without my knowledge, it's almost certainly being gathered in this day and age.

I am sure that I can't stop it from happening, I'm not getting rid of the truck over it, but I've been in IT long enough to want to know how securely it is being sent and what it contains. The 800# had no idea, said that I should call the same 800# to ask. Any service techs, engineers, or other people in the know that can shed some light?? Can I stop it from sending entirely??

 

I got my 2020 and saw that as well, it was a sticker on the roof console. Do you have a cell phone on you at all times? You're already being tracked...not much you can do in this day and age. From what I've read it transmits engine data & location.

See more info here: https://www.toyota.com/privacyvts/

 

I don't agree with the 'Whatcha gonna do' argument, companies only treat it that way because the public currently accepts that they have no recourse. Eu laws changed regarding data collection and ours will too, eventually when we learn what our data is actually worth. Not knowing what it is sending is what's bugging me. If it were innocuous, they'd spell it out very clearly.

Everything in these trucks goes through a computer, which means likely logged. Oh, sorry sir. We're not covering you for that, it says here you've exceeded 61% throttle 3 times this month alone. That's not normal wear and tear, we've determined that anything over 60% is aggressive.

 

Take the little box apart and remove a wire from the unit. That should disable it.

 

Oh I definitely agree and I hope its changes soon like the EU. I edited a link to my original post with more info and steps for deactivation.

 

You are worried about the wrong thing man. If you are paranoid then you need to go off grid. If you don't, then you need to accept the world as it is and be ignorant of what is happening. Getting them to shut it down means nothing if you carry a cell phone. Somebody can find you now pretty much anywhere. If they want you bad enough they don't even need a cell signal to find you. As far as giving it too much throttle 61% of the time, that is being recorded already and you cannot bypass that. Your black box records much data everytime you drive. In the event of an accident or something bad, it will get looked at by whoever is investigating.

Oh, we can thank ourselves, the consumers, for all this. Toyota lost billions on unintended acceleration because some people didn't know the brake from the gas and didn't know shifting to neutral or stomping the frigging brake will bring the vehicle to a stop, no matter how much gas you give it. They won't lose again, hence the data recording.

So no, unless you buy a 1972 Chevy, use cash, live completely off grid, never purchase anything big, grow your own food and reload your own ammo pretty much anyone with money or authority can find out more about you than you know yourself.

Oh, and those of you expounding on the virtues of EU privacy? I just got back from Germany... those dudes just track you with cameras everywhere. They don't need data transmission. If they are really curious, they just playback all the cameras you triggered until they can follow your whole route. A big smuggler was caught this way as it was in the papers while I was there. It's amazing what a country in the EU can still do to track you and follow your every movement lol.

 

At least they gave you the warning. Apple / Android CarPlay stuff will take all that information and most don't realize. Apparently that's one of the reasons why Toyota's been so reluctant in profiding Apple/Android support. You're actually providing all that data to Apple and Toyota. What I find more annoying is you're on the hook for providing the cellular connection to provide them said data. Some manufacturers at least pay for the connection themselves and don't pass that onto the consumer.
If you do phone and opt-out, I'm sure all the features like CarPlay will be turned off. Apple & Android won't provide the service if they can't have your data. I'm not sure about the Toyota features though.

But if you don't want to provide them data, simply don't connect your phone to HU, and turn off the cellular data service on the headhunt. (probably be a phone call to disconect, since I think you get 1st year free).

 

This, but somewhere at Apple they're laughing because Chad listens to Cardi B and Maroon 5

 

Didn't mean to go down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole...but I figured this would be a good place to luck out and find a Toyota engineer who would know.

But is cell data coming from the head unit? I'm not willing to sign up for the wifi trial, remove the head unit, then see if I still get wifi lol I rather like the head unit and all the camera fun that comes with it. I just want to disable the E.T. Phone home features.

 

Simply do not connect your phone to head unit. It can't transmit without a way to transmit and that is your cell phone. Your black box data cannot transmit either without a hard connection. Good luck protecting that though. If Toyota or a court wants that they can get it. You gave them that right when you signed for the truck.

 

This made me laugh

 

Heads up, your phone already does all that for you

but for real.. unless you have a rooted/jail broken cell, you're providing all the data to the gov

 

2020 has a built in cell and SIM that supposedly works via Verizon.

 

Exactly, it's that built in cell that I don't want and I'm willing to break it... If an engineer or trusted source knows what / where it is.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypr18UmxOas

 

Been trying to find info myself. From what I gather you can call in and ask to disable all "service connect". After sometime Toyota may also cut off the data service dcm which I think means the logo goes away. But the actual unit is a plug in module somewhere in the truck that can be disconnected without causing harm based on some Prius chat.

 

Anyone have a signal sniffer I can borrow for a weekend in the mountains? I'll bet it'll be the only thing trying to dial out.

 

Maybe find it with this hooked up to a lap top
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-make-a-wifi-antenna-out-of-a-pringles-can-nb/

 

Each of the antennas (XM, GPS, AM&FM) on the 2016+ head units have their own connector into the HU. I'd assume there is a very high probability that the cell antenna on the 2020 unit is also separate from the HU, and also has it's own connector into the HU. So simply unplug it from the HU.

Someone posted the image of the back of a 2020 HU, should be easy to locate if I can find that pic.

 

I'm not so sure that it would be connected directly to the HU. It could just be simply connected to the Buss anywhere.