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Modern cars are spy hubs on wheels, tracking your location, conversations, and behavior.

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[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 35 points 3 months ago

Just don’t buy a new car. Simple as.

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 49 points 3 months ago

That's not going to be a choice forever though. Even the best maintained cars eventually fail.

[-] Brownie@lemmy.zip 15 points 3 months ago

Can't you get older car rebuilt into electric? Seems like it could give it some more years. Correct me if I am wrong tho, I am not great at cars lol

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 13 points 3 months ago

Sure, but IIRC, there's a federal law requiring certain devices to be included in a new car. That probably doesn't include a rebuild, but it could if that becomes a popular enough option to avoid it. It's also usually quite expensive.

[-] Brownie@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 months ago

Would hope for EU to not have these laws, but I feel like that would be too much hope

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 9 points 3 months ago

The EU seems to being going full steam on destroying privacy too, so I wouldn't bet on it.

[-] Brownie@lemmy.zip 5 points 3 months ago

Unfortunately yeah... I believe they are talking about reviving Chat Control 1.0 today... Once again

[-] infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 3 points 3 months ago

The institution can propose the unpopular policy more times than a population unable or unwilling to alter the institution can smack it down.

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[-] infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 4 points 3 months ago

Yeah and even if someone is just making barebones frames for kit builds, I think there are legal limits on the number of kit cars that a single shop can do in a year. But those are corporate protectionist laws that we should probably get rid of.

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[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 months ago

Can’t you get older car rebuilt into electric?

For $50,000 ...then you get an old car no one can fix.

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[-] RedMari@reddthat.com 6 points 3 months ago

Some companies do offer this for a quite hefty price.

[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago
[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 5 points 3 months ago

I looked at it at one point (quite a while back) and yes, it was more than a new car usually. It alone was about the price of a new car, like $30k IIRC (again, many years ago I think pre-covid even). You also need to include the car, so add a few thousand, or more depending on the car.

[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 months ago

Closer to $50K. It's a lot of specialized labor and those shops charge $200/hr.

[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

Considering there aren’t any new cars I want and the average price of one is about that much it sounds good to me.

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[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago
[-] engedal@mstdn.dk 3 points 3 months ago

@Semi_Hemi_Demigod @Cethin

check whats inside when you buy ;-)

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[-] Landless2029@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

My 2010 Honda is trucking along but I wanted to upgrade to a hybrid... Fat chance of that happening.

Now I'll ride this one until it dies.

[-] Phantaloons@piefed.zip 4 points 3 months ago

So will I. I hope to time it just right.

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[-] YoSoySnekBoi@kbin.earth 16 points 3 months ago

Physically disconnecting the broadband antenna is always a solid option too

[-] spinning_disk_engineer@lemmy.ca 15 points 3 months ago

For as long as they let you. Watch, soon they'll be required to connect to the network at least every 30 days to function.

[-] Phantaloons@piefed.zip 3 points 3 months ago

Don't buy it

I'll make the guess our next reply is "what if it's every car!?"

It won't be. Buy ~~used~~ proven.

[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 months ago

so you splice a switch into the antenna wire.

They can't require connectivity or all cars would stop in tunnels.

[-] spinning_disk_engineer@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 months ago

You make switching RF sound easier than it is, but this is quite possibly the solution.

That or taking the train, but those have their own problems (including not being available in all places).

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[-] ArchEngel@lemmy.ca 30 points 3 months ago

This article may be at least partially ai written - this paragraph under number 7 in particular is quite suspicious:

"For extra paranoia, some owners store their entire car in a Faraday garage or use signal-blocking paint—extreme, but effective."

[-] Car@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 months ago

I can maybe see a garage, but ruining your paint? Where do you get this paint, how much does it cost, do you “do it right” by properly prepping and masking, how do you maintain this finish, and do you truly not care about resale value?

I’m sure somebody has done this somewhere, but I can’t imagine it looks better than matte-black rattlecanned shitbox. Nobody really wants to be driving around in that.

[-] Chais@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

You paint the garage, you cucumber.

[-] Crozekiel@lemmy.zip 5 points 3 months ago

Hey, they aren't a cucumber, they are a car.

[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 months ago

The antenna is under the shark fin and can be unplugged from under the roof liner.

[-] impairedimperator@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 months ago

Probably just a regular paint with metal flakes, but calling faraday cage paint makes it fancy.

Also probably doesn't work very well unless you stretch a copper mesh onto the car under the paint

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[-] django@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 3 months ago

Just don't buy a car.

[-] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 months ago

Got a 1987 Pontiac Firebird.

[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 months ago

But all my t-shirts have sleeves.

[-] Chais@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 months ago

All t-shirts have sleeves. By definition.

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[-] JustEnoughDucks@slrpnk.net 8 points 3 months ago

It is very funny that this article seems to be under the impression that opting out does anything at all.

Oooooo, maybe now they don't save your data under your legal ID directly. One time connection with your phone and they know your fingerprint that is already linked with an identity lol.

Opt-out is the biggest lie in the tech world.

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[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 months ago

Wanna get rich? Make a metal cover for auto shark fins.

Cover these and no one is getting data.

[-] Changelin@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 3 months ago

Don't know about getting rich with that. Most car owners don't really care. Surprise.

[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 months ago

That's what marketing does. Create demand. Get Youtube makeup influencers to tell their audience cars track your body weight through the airbag sensor.

[-] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago

If an older internal combustion engine car with only a dashboard radio is not an option, then a bicycle.

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this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2026
179 points (94.5% liked)

Fuck Cars

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