It's possible to build an EV or even smart ICE that has a bunch of modern features and doesn't phone home constantly. But I think we've now crossed a threshold

It's possible to build an EV or even smart ICE that has a bunch of modern features and doesn't phone home constantly. But I think we've now crossed a threshold where most of society agrees with continuous monitoring of some things for safety reasons. Cars are probably the most technologically advanced, potentially dangerous, and socially disruptive thing most people buy. If cars were invented today the regulations would be far more onerous and intrusive than the regulatory system we got from before computers existed. Safety regulators in the US are already evaluating next-gen regulations to require a car to disable if alcoholic breath is detected, regardless of driver overrides. For better or worse, we're on a one-way ratchet with this stuff.