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Modern cars’ smart features could be used to spy on you, drivers warned
(www.theguardian.com)
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this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2026
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Privacy
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could? that's some optimistic point of view
GM has been banned from selling user data to insurance companies in the US and Tesla has been in the news multiple times for sharing video from inside people’s cars.
This should be a forgone conclusion especially with Europe mandating cameras in cars now.
I hate that camera surveillance in cars is happening like that. Unfortunately people have also been proven to be absolute morons when driving and doing all sorts of other shit than actually keeping their eyes on the road, and inattentive driving is the leading cause of accidents. So this is sort of something people brought on themselves by being idiot drivers.
Yes, but I feel like putting cameras in cars isn’t the answer. People are already finding ways to trick the computer into thinking they are paying attention:
We need far stricter enforcement, too many people treat driving like a right instead of a privilege. Even drunk driving isn’t treated as a license removing offense in a lot of places.
But what is the answer? Higher fines isn't doing much to change this behavior, even withdrawing licenses and impounding cars have very limited effect. Do we throw people in prison for being inattentive in a car?
Pretty sure the a awer isn't a giant TV screen at the front of every car
I'd say making manual transmissions mandatory would be a good start.
Maybe require paddle shifters be used on auto transmissions.
Maybe in a year or two when 99% of all messages coming through phones is AI scams, marketing,slop, and dick pics people won't be so interested in their phones and the problem will solve itself.
I’m not sure there is any one answer but I think I would start with education. Anti-littering campaigns haven’t ended littering but they have certainly shifted the public mindset around litter, I think distracted driving is going to need to be treated the same way.
I agree, it’s the key to the fix.
I think driving lessons, licensing and road safety should all be part of high school programs.
campaigns to "focus on driving while driving" have already been running for 15 years here.
Education for driving and responsibility on the roads should really be starting in school and part of schooling programs. It’s probably one of if not the most important skill we learn and it’s one of the biggest killers, much of that through lack of responsibility.
We need to start running it through high school, as part of schooling. It could even be used to incentivise staying in school.
In Norway they used to make the fines a percentage of the driver's yearly income, I do not know if this is still the case. So a chief physician for example would get fined like 150.000 NOK ~ €14.000 for drunk driving.
This really still only scales to impact poor -> middle class people, above that and even though they pay the same percentage, their overhead is just big enough to absorb it without the same impact to their lives. Saying "it is what it is" to a €120.000 ticket really shows how little it actually hit people like this, it's a nuisance but ultimately nothing more.