10 ms·

Can I disable all data collection from my vehicle?

760 points by Cider9986 6mo ago

jamilbk 6mo ago
I remember yanking out the onstar unit in my 2015 silverado to physically disconnect the cell antenna. This was (is?) the only practical way to disable cellular in that vehicle. Kudos to Rivian for making this a supported user privacy feature.
- cj 6mo ago
  As someone who got into a rollover accident which ended with my car upside down on a freeway, hearing only the onstar person talking to me while half conscious, this is sad. I do distinctely remember strongly disliking the user agreement I signed for the "internet connected" features of the car when I bought it. 100% rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn't' find a way to opt out, and I wasn't so motivated to physically remove it from my new car. Thankfully. Shouldn't have to trade privacy for safety.
  - karlgkk 6mo ago
    > As someone who got into a rollover accident which ended with my car upside down on a freeway, hearing only the onstar person talking to me while half conscious, this is sad. My phone does this now. Most phones do it now.
    - Barbing 6mo ago
      Stress test your mounts!
    - xp84 6mo ago
      Maybe in theory, but I trust Apple to detect a crash correctly about as far as I can throw my iPhone without breaking its glass back or front. This is the company whose flagship voice assistant, in 2026, can’t tell the intended recipient in a sentence like “Text Bob Mary signed the deal.” And if my phone happens to be thrown into the back of the car by the crash, I doubt anyone will be able to hear me. Not to mention that OnStar has operators who talk to first responders. the cell phone thing will just call 911 and hope for the best. I pay for OnStar, and think it’s worth it.
      - booi 6mo ago
        sorry, I didn't find someone named "bob mary" in your contacts list
        warkdarrior 6mo ago
        "I found this on the web. Check it out."
        xp84 6mo ago
        Yup! Or it starts a group text with Bob AND Mary saying “signed the deal”
      - martin_a 6mo ago
        Lol, same thing for Android, too. It has full access to my contact list, but if I tell it to "Call Stephan Beier" I see the transcript for "Beyer" and then it fails. That sounds the same in German, now what shall I do. Stupid thing.
        Terr_ 6mo ago
        Other "it's the future year 2026 how the hell are things still this bad" examples: 1. For years "Navigate Home" has done exactly what you'd expect, then one morning it decides traveling to Home Depot is the only possible interpretation. 2. A bog-standard timed alarm goes off, and half the time "Silence Alarm" leads to it insisting that there are no alarms going off right now. What stings is that these aren't issues with ambiguous grammar or unusual phrasings, these are extremely predictable commands for features I would expect in the minimum viable product.
        happymellon 6mo ago
        When they forced us to use Gemini as the assistant, saying "hey Google call X" stopped working because it came up with a list of phone numbers for them and I couldn't tell it "home" or "mobile" because I had to manually select. That lasted about 6 hours before I figured out how to switch back to Assistant.
      - FireBeyond 6mo ago
    - reaperducer 6mo ago
      My phone does this now. Most phones do it now. Only if it hasn't been crushed, damaged, or otherwise flung out of the vehicle that crashed so violently that it's actually upside down, as noted in the original comment.
      - dghlsakjg 6mo ago
        The same is true of the cell phone hardware built into the vehicle that is crashed and upside down.
  - nancyminusone 6mo ago
    >Shouldn't have to trade privacy for safety. You shouldn't have to, and yet... https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/01/ftc-finalizes-order-settling-allegations-gm-onstar-collected-sold-geolocation-data-without-consumers https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/01/...
  - yason 6mo ago
    There's absolutely no reason an emergency e-call system needs to connect via the car systems such as infotainment. It could be a standalone module that does its own thing regardless of whether the car is permanently disconnected from everywhere. Probably should too, given its nature. And not just could: there are aftermarket e-call systems that do not integrate beyond requiring 12V supply. This is how cars used to be made. Features were standalone modules: there could be some bus traffic about optional data (wiper module with rain sensor could broadcast that it's raining and body control module could hear that and could be configured to close windows when raining) but they weren't strictly integrated in any meaningful capacity. You could change the radio unit to whatever you liked: if you were lucky you could get one that can actually understand what the other modules in the car were saying and show some non-enterntainment info on its screen as well. Navigation used to be a standalone system that had GPS receiver but nothing else in the car couldn't necessarily tap into the location data. SUre, it meant some more wires and maybe the features had disconnects because they weren't aware of each other that much but all in all that was a good thing. It kept everything simple, isolated and repairable. Now because of more integration the modules need to know who they're talking to which leads to bizarre things like having to code in new headlights and pair them with other modules or they won't be recognized and just stay off.
  - dmitrygr 6mo ago
    > As someone who got into a rollover accident which ended with my car upside down on a freeway, hearing only the onstar person talking to me while half conscious, this is sad. Get an iPhone or an apple watch - they offer this same service with a more sane privacy policy.
- nullc 6mo ago
  They've fixed that in later models, disconnecting the module disables the dash now. But don't worry, the FTC is out to protect you. Their settlement with GM says that can only sell your name attached to zipcode resolution location data and only sell your precise location trace attached to an opaque ID rather than your name.
  - willis936 6mo ago
    I've reliably disconnected Toyotas and VWs by pulling the cell antenna connections from the telematics modules in the dash. The GPS antenna is separate and still aids in carplay navigation.
    - slumberlust 6mo ago
      How did you confirm this? I believe you think you did it, but is there any way to confirm its not still sending via another module?
      - willis936 6mo ago
        I have the service manual and can see there is only one telematics module in the car. It has two redundant LTE antennas and one GPS antenna going into the telematics module. The onstar calling works when the antennas are plugged in and doesn't when they're not. Can I confirm that they don't hide a bug somewhere in my car without stripping it down to the bone? No, but I'm not a schizo, so I won't bother.
        nullc 6mo ago
        That is a very reasonable level of diligence, but I don't think it's right to characterize further skepticism as "schizo" -- lets imagine the car has a separate entertainment system or sirusxm radio (perhaps not the case for yours)-- in that case it might have an entirely separate telematics function reporting back to a different corporate master. Because of how cars are built there are many places where subsystems are effectively duplicated. Sirus performing telematics in addition to the manufactures hardware isn't a hypothetical example. More fair to say that you satisfied your level of concern. But it's entirely not schizo for someone to be concerned that there was more than one tracking vector, especially given that manufactures already active inhibit efforts to disable tracking and ordinary practices of the automotive industry. Or, in other words, please don't privacy shame people. If you felt your approach was sufficient-- awesome! Better to be nothing like the people who were others names online for asking about disabling telematics at all, only to be all shocked pikachu when their insurer jacked their rates later based on their driving activity. :P
- dlenski 6mo ago
  > Kudos to Rivian for making this a supported user privacy feature. Same. This is the first thing that I've ever read that makes me think I might be willing to buy a modern vehicle.
- Brian_K_White 6mo ago
  Similar I got a new 2025 4runner last summer and... A: never once installed the app or registered an account, which flummoxxed the salesman so much he argued with me for 10 minutes trying to say that I had to set up the app to even take delivery, even though I paid cash in full. He even cried to mama (the manager) to find out what to do about this impossible situation. In the end, of course you do not actually need to install the app, even temporarily just for a one-time setup, or even register an account. But MAN do they want you to. B: Within a few weeks found that someone makes a kit that lets you completely disconnect the telemetry & internet functionality module while providing some pass-through connections that normally go through that box. Apparently in this case all the bad stuff is conveniently in one box you can disconnect, and still have normal bluetooth for android auto, apple car play, or plain bluetooth headset & media. So still have gps & media on the console stcreen. I can only assume that this won't stay so convenient. They could have anything require anything else any time they want. They do offer an official way to disable all internet features (remote start from your phone from any distance, remote vehicle monitor, tracking/shutdown, etc), but all that does is disable the useful functions for you, while not disabling any of the functions they use for themselves. It's still actively logging and uploading data, and they still have the ability to remotely track and even disable the vehicle. I've been to the dealer (different from purchase) once for a free oil change and they didn't say anything. So idk if they even tried to do any updates, or they have some other way to do it or what. https://www.autoharnesshouse.com/store/AHH-DCM77 https://www.autoharnesshouse.com/store/AHH-DCM77
- rurp 6mo ago
  Saying you need to physically take the car into them, unless you're in a country that requires them to provide the option, and disabling other features out of spite isn't what I would call a supported user privacy feature.
jryio 6mo ago
Reminds me of Zed's setting { "disable_ai": true } [1] Glad it's an option be it for regulatory compliance, security, privacy, or any combination of the three. [1]: https://zed.dev/blog/disable-ai-features https://zed.dev/blog/disable-ai-features
- giancarlostoro 6mo ago
  Zed is one of the best editors I've ever seen, I always worried the mention of AI would put off people who are missing out on a truly amazing editor.
  - ModernMech 6mo ago
    The thing that really puts people off about Zed is "VC-funded"
    - sieabahlpark 6mo ago
      [dead]
    - nathanmills 6mo ago
      Hacker News is not for you then.
      - boringg 6mo ago
        There is a healthy dose of VC skepticism here. HN is here for that.
        dmoy 6mo ago
        I think they meant that ycombinator is literally a VC shop So if being VC funded puts you off an editor, being VC funded may also put you off ycombinator.com
        ModernMech 6mo ago
whichken 6mo ago
If they can make it a toggle for Canadian vehicles, why do you need to schedule an appointment in the US? Obviously it's so they can try to talk you out of it, but c'mon, just give everyone a toggle.
deleted 6mo ago
[deleted]
simpaticoder 6mo ago
This is insufficient. There needs to be a physical button that either physically disconnects every antenna and/or de-powers the transceiver.
- janice1999 6mo ago
  They could store data and then dump it later when the vehicle is being serviced. Unless their privacy states otherwise, assume data is being gathered and sold. Other car manufactures have been caught selling travel data. It's not even that paranoid. Google has been fined in the past for secretly collecting location data in Android when offline and then relaying it back to HQ once the phone got a signal.
- carlgreene 6mo ago
  Kinda rich coming from someone who doesn't even have a valid SSL cert on the website in their profile bio...
  - yjftsjthsd-h 6mo ago
    What does that have to do with anything?
    - booi 6mo ago
      didn't you get the memo? If you don't set up proper SSL certificates you can't give opinions on the features you want in a car...
    - nathanmills 6mo ago
      He expects an absurd level of effort from other people to protect privacy when he isn't doing the bare minimum for what he actually does himself.
      - pessimizer 6mo ago
        > a physical button New definition of "absurd" just dropped...
janice1999 6mo ago
Disabling internet connectivity disables lane keeping assistance. I wonder if this is a dark pattern to punish users who opt out or because they feel they need reports of crashes ahead to do it safely.
- happyopossum 6mo ago
  They need to keep lane availability up to date - lanes get closed for repair or realignment sometimes and it’d suck to rear-end an 18 ton grader because you don’t have current DOT info…
  - ibejoeb 6mo ago
    I didn't know that. I assumed it was sensor-based. How up-to-date can that really be? That sounds pretty crazy.
  - Terr_ 6mo ago
    Anybody relying on lane-keeping assistance to prevent from slamming into the back of big yellow construction vehicle is doing it wrong, and we should be thankful they didn't hit something else with more victims.
    - ErroneousBosh 6mo ago
      The problem is that the lane keeping assist freaks out quite often and will steer you into obstacles that are in your lane. I will say though the the new version of the Kia Niro EVs we have is a lot better in that regard - it just kind of gently nudges the steering, it feels more like the car is tramlining a bit. The older versions we had at work would actively try to steer you into other vehicles.
  - al_borland 6mo ago
    My assumption would be that lane keeping would be about staying in the lines ahead of you, not knowing which lanes are available on the route. Available lanes can change in real-time due to all kinds of reasons.
deleted 6mo ago
[deleted]
cyberax 6mo ago
How about also adding Android Auto as well? Oh no, it'd take away their "control the user experience" power-tripping.
- johnea 6mo ago
  So why would you prefer goggle's "control the user experience" power-tripping, to rivian's? I'd much rather side with the company that was willing to allow the user to disable net connectivity...
  - philipallstar 6mo ago
    Your phone has an airplane mode.
    - Terr_ 6mo ago
      Also, I can replace or upgrade my phone a hell of a lot more easily than I can replace my car.
      - philipallstar 6mo ago
        Yep!
  - cyberax 6mo ago
    My phone runs GrapheneOS and does not use any Google service. But it supports Android Auto. Allowing it would dramatically improve the experience. Instead, Rivian adds a purely performative toggle that makes the car's navigation largely useless and doesn't provide a good alternative.
  - yjftsjthsd-h 6mo ago
    I would prefer to have the choice.
  - babypuncher 6mo ago
    Ideally, they would support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. There are a few big reasons this is preferable. - I already pay for internet on my phone, I'm not interested in paying for another cellular service just to get maps and music streaming on the screen in my car. GM ditched CarPlay specifically to push customers to their subscription service. I know some electric automakers are offering it "for free", but I do not trust that it will remain free, and that's important when spending tens of thousands of dollars on something you plan to use for a decade+. - Third party app ecosystem means I can use the maps and music player I want, and not just what my car manufacturer decides is worth including. - Auto manufacturers suck at software. I've yet to use an infotainment system that wasn't a stark downgrade from CarPlay. Basically, my car shouldn't need an internet connection because my smartphone already does all the same things but better.
amelius 6mo ago
I just want to bring my own electronics.
- sudb 6mo ago
  If you mean the self-driving part specifically, apparently Comma AI already does this: https://comma.ai/ https://comma.ai/
livinglist 6mo ago
I’m still very happy with my 2024 4Runner, one of the purchases I never regretted a single bit, I did have a Sony head unit installed for a larger screen with support of wireless Apple CarPlay, and that’s enough tech in a car for me. My wife keeps complaining about its lack of auto lane keeping but I’m ok with it bc I enjoy driving it.
bri3d 6mo ago
> limit or disable certain functionality in the vehicle: ... over-the-air updates, which provide new ... safety enhancements ... I wonder what happens if you disable the e-SIM (in the US) and then a safety recall appears via software update - do dealers have any way to update control modules besides OTA? This is a huge unresolved issue with EVs IMO; ICE cars are required to provide emissions-relevant updates over software which can operate using a J2534 passthrough device, which effectively means powertrain modules have to allow (potentially signed) updates over CAN using software that can be obtained by an end user (a lot of people don't know this; for almost any ICE car in the US, you can buy a 3-day or 1-week subscription to the dealership level diagnostic software for a somewhat reasonable fee and use it with a J2534 device). But for EVs, there's no such rule and as far as I can tell it's entirely a gray area in the US now; the NHTSA require a "remedy" for recalls but nobody seems to have pushed back to determine whether OTA is truly a remedy. The traditional autos all offer dealerships as a backup option, but Tesla and Rivian have several recalls with only OTA remedies already. This seems sketchy.
- stronglikedan 6mo ago
  > do dealers have any way to update control modules besides OTA? I get some updates OTA, but the dealer has to install some others, and when I took it there they updated it with a USB stick.
  - bri3d 6mo ago
    Nice, thanks for the reply; this is surprisingly undocumented online. Presumably if they got cornered and the module under repair was updatable via this mechanism they'd have some ability to use that system, then. I wonder how charitable they will be about using it for non-recall updates for customers who have solely chosen to opt out. Rivian are probably the only major manufacturer I've never had a chance to look at in any RE capacity and I'm getting more curious by the second. The reaction their vehicles had to the infamous bricked-infotainment update actually represented a pretty good adherence to safety guidelines (the drivetrain as well as the speedometer and warning lights on the cluster still worked in a degraded format even when the infotainment was bricked) IMO, so they do seem to apply a reasonable degree of care.
baggachipz 6mo ago
This is the sign of a company who listens to their customers. They have received feedback saying some people don't want a connected car, so they make it an option.
- xyst 6mo ago
  Or trying to get ahead of competition such as slate.
  - conductr 6mo ago
    I’m weighing whether I should get a Slate or R2 next. Yet, somehow, I feel like these don’t compete directly much. Perhaps I’m wrong. My friends with R1s would never consider a Slate. Maybe the R2 is more of a match even at twice the price.
    - baggachipz 6mo ago
      I think that: 1) Slate will still not be available for a while, and 2) Once you get everything you want on it, the price won't be that much better. But that's just my take. Don't get me wrong, I look forward to Slate being available and think it's compelling, but just my cynical take.
      - conductr 6mo ago
        I love the cynicism! My thought is that’s why it doesn’t compete for many people. Either you like Slate for what it is (simplistic, low features, or just really want that customization yourself) or you think it’s too simplistic, want a lot of features, or like the luxury finishes - so you just buy a Rivian without considering the Slate. I’ve been wanting something like the Slate for a long time and am truly excited by it. The more they’ve commented on specifics however, the more I feel like it’s a risky buy though (for me and my needs). If they do the test drive tour I’m going to make sure to visit it, the whole preorder a car from a company that doesn’t exist thing stokes my anxiety a bit too. Rivian at least I’m familiar with but I’m definitely in the “this company is going bankrupt camp” and don’t see their path towards profitability. So hard for me to buy their product even if they are built for camping
Cider9986 6mo ago
Related: Mozilla did a review of different cars for privacy: (https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/its-official-cars-are-the-worst-product-category-we-have-ever-reviewed-for-privacy/ https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/privacynotincluded/arti...) >Nissan earned its second-to-last spot for collecting some of the creepiest categories of data we have ever seen. [Their privacy policy] includes your “sexual activity.” Not to be out done, Kia also mentions they can collect information about your “sex life” in their privacy policy. Oh, and six car companies say they can collect your “genetic information” or “genetic characteristics.”
- pesus 6mo ago
  Ignoring the fact that it's absolutely unhinged and bonkers to include that in the first place, I don't even understand how they could possibly ever get any information about that. Are they using LLMs to generate these policies without review? Or are there really lawyers out there who thought this was pertinent and important to include?
  - LamaOfRuin 6mo ago
    Any car that can record audio in the cabin could have information about your sexual activity. Could also argue it based on location data. Some laws require discussing very specific lists of categories of information they might have. I'm guessing this is a completionist CYA lawyer accounting for this.
    - henryfjordan 6mo ago
      I was thinking all it takes is an IMU to tell if the car is a rockin'
      - Barbing 6mo ago
        150lbs on each front seat at 8pm, 300lbs on one rear seat at 2am, they gotcha like Kalanick & the Uber one night standers https://web.archive.org/web/20140827195715/https://blog.uber.com/ridesofglory https://web.archive.org/web/20140827195715/https://blog.uber...
Cider9986 6mo ago
>It sounds to me like this is more akin to the Cellular Data toggle on Android as opposed to Aeroplane mode. If that is the case, it will presumably not prevent your vehicle from connecting to cellular base stations, which means your vehicle will still be trackable by network operators. (https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/rivian-allows-you-to-disable-all-internet-connectivity/37286/4 https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/rivian-allows-you-to-dis...)
- ezfe 6mo ago
  > disable the eSIM card in the vehicle Disabling a SIM card almost certainly means no connection to the network.
  - Cider9986 6mo ago
    Your phone still connects to the cellular network without a sim card or eSim. It is mandated by law in the US. The only way to prevent your phone from connecting/pinging/being pinged by the cellular network is to put it in airplane mode. (https://grapheneos.org/faq#cellular-tracking https://grapheneos.org/faq#cellular-tracking) Whether there is a sim enabled/disabled/installed is irrelevant. The question is whether this feature is Airplain Mode or if it is just disable cellular.
    - ezfe 6mo ago
      Ah, I thought you were likening it to the disable cellular data button which does not disconnect the cellular network. Instead you are referring to the fact that the radio may remain on even if it has no active SIM card. Given that the primary concern of connected vehicles is changes over time and manufacturer control, I don’t see any reason to make that distinction for most people.
WaxProlix 6mo ago
It was expensive but every day I am happy with my Rivian purchase. Great to have a vehicle where the actual users are obviously thought of (contra for instance the cybertruck where some variety 'cool factor' was obviously prioritized, resulting in finger crunching hoods and such).
- xyst 6mo ago
  [flagged]
  - WaxProlix 6mo ago
    Na it's great stay broke Edit: and mad
    - throwaway67438 6mo ago
      [flagged]
      - jitler 6mo ago
        [dead]
      - ZeWaka 6mo ago
        >account named throwaway67438 with one comment hmm. not sure who this 'rest of us' is. is it a free-range organic bot farm?
      - HDBaseT 6mo ago
        'Elon Derangement Syndrome' as opposed to 'Elon dick ride syndrome'. I see your type of people on Twitter all the time, they complain that someone was critical of Elon (and in this circumstance he wasn't even calling out Elon. He literally commented on a known flaw with the Cybertruck) yet people like you come out of the woodwork and defend everything. You've got yourself worked up about something that has nothing to do with Elon. I always like checking out those peoples profiles and their whole life revolves around Elon. That is a bigger disorder in my opinion. Maybe your the problem?
bilsbie 6mo ago
I wish Tesla did this.
ibejoeb 6mo ago
>For non-Canadian vehicles, you may reach out to Rivian Service to request that we disable the eSIM card in the vehicle through a service appointment. Why is that? I really don't want to bring it to the shop to turn off the radio. In Canada it's a toggle in the settings. Is there Canadian legislation mandating this or something?
- SrslyJosh 6mo ago
  Yes, no credit if I have to ask someone to turn it off for me. It could obviously be a toggle here in the US.
girvo 6mo ago
Amusingly, my Cupra Born has all its connectivity disabled... because Cupra Australia just didn't want to bring it to this country. Not a bad thing really, aside from the annoying red notification dot telling me I have no signal!
dlev_pika 6mo ago
> limit or disable certain functionality in the vehicle (e.g., navigation, lane keeping assistance (…) Curious why lane keeping assistance would need to communicate externally. Isn’t all this processed in the vehicle?
- gnabgib 6mo ago
  You're reading too much into the editorialized title, this is a FAQ for Can I disable all data collection from my vehicle? Lane keeping assist likely (a) shares data back to Rivian, and (b) depends on GPS and (live) map data to know location specific settings.. that there are 4 lanes on this road and the left 2 lead somewhere else (etc). Line detection (on-device) isn't always reliable (snow, rain, ice, mud, gravel, construction)
- Fnoord 6mo ago
  I find it ridiculous navigation would require always-on internet connectivity. Seems a regression from the offline TomTom devices from the past.
  - rmunn 6mo ago
    I've only used Google Maps for navigation myself so can't speak to what Rivian does. But Google Maps uses Internet access to determine the speed of traffic on your route, allowing it suggest alternate routes if there's a traffic jam. (It also uploads the speed that you're traveling to Google servers, which is how they know about traffic jams to begin with: in many cities they could buy data from traffic cameras, but in stretches of rural highway where there are no cameras, Google Maps still knows when traffic has slowed down to a crawl. Guess how.) It also uses the Internet access to access reports like "There's a police car / stalled vehicle / object on road ahead". It may do other things with Internet access that I don't know about, but those are the two that I do know about. And at least the object-on-road feature is one I'm glad they have. I once saw a truck ahead of me in my lane suddenly swerve hard onto the shoulder, which alerted me to danger. (The truck driver remained in control of the truck, thankfully). And there was a wooden pallet lying squarely in the right lane of the highway. I avoided it by moving into the left lane, then once I spotted a mile marker I pulled over and called 911 to report the traffic hazard. About ten minutes later, as I was driving on, I saw a police car on the opposite side of the highway, heading towards where I had reported the pallet on the highway. No way of knowing whether that car was the one responding to my call, but the timing suggests it was. Hopefully nobody had an accident before the pallet got cleared away. These days Google Maps would be able to alert people to the hazard before they got close, so nobody will be in the situation I was where the vehicle in front of them blocked their view of the hazard until they were quite close. Long story short (yeah, yeah, I know: "too late"), some Internet-required features of modern navigation are ones I'm glad they have.
pokstad 6mo ago
Show me where I can rip out the antennae/modem, otherwise you’re all talk.
- myself248 6mo ago
  Exactly. Any software toggle can un-toggle itself.
VortexLain 6mo ago
It would have been much better to be able to disable telemetry without losing basic functionality such as navigation and safety updates. Having to choose between being spied on and having no connectivity at all is a false dichotomy.
- smotched 6mo ago
  what telemetry are you worried about if you're already sharing your exact location at all times (navigation)
  - mingus88 6mo ago
    I’m not OP but I just want to point out that navigation doesn’t need to mean I am always sharing telemetry with multiple third parties I have a garmin watch which is great for overland hiking, multiple day expeditions etc I download the maps and the watch has GPS to plot where I am on that map. My watch doesn’t have an eSIM at all. Rivian is an adventure brand so if they wanted to design a maps system like that, where I am not continually downloading tiles from open maps or google and sending my location to them and others, they probably could I just don’t think they have space for those types of features most people don’t care about while they are trying to compete in a rough industry and deliver new vehicles
    - samplatt 6mo ago
      It's telling just how completely successful the social media revolution has been, when we don't remember that two short decades ago 3rd-party car navigation options that relied on maps loaded on the device and GPS input and that's all. No SIM cards (though they could have done so at the time), no telemetry. The experience was even comparable to today's experience - I've been auto-routed around a road closure, like, twice in 5 years? And it _failed_ to route me around a road closure probably twice as well?
  - kelnos 6mo ago
    Why would you be sharing that? There's no reason why the navigation system needs to constantly tell a remote system where you are. Navigation systems don't even need an Internet connection for basic routing.
varenc 6mo ago
> For non-Canadian vehicles, you may reach out to Rivian Service to request that we disable the eSIM card in the vehicle through a service appointment. I certainly appreciate that disabling network connectivity is even possible, but a bit scummy that non-Canadians have to make an in-person service appointment. Is there some Canadian law at play here that requires they permit Canadians to disable this easily from the GUI? Would love legislation like that in the US.
rubatuga 6mo ago
Annoying how it doesn't disable the cell modem from registering to a network (in Canada). So no it doesn't provide any tracking protection. Or at least that is how it sounds.
phil_kahrl 6mo ago
Fisker launched that feature over a year ago
jmward01 6mo ago
This is, in a word, crap. We give you a fake option to turn off data and make it egregious by killing features that shouldn't need it like lane keeping. How about instead a real privacy option that actually is true? 'Block identification'. 'disable sim when not in use'. 'no server side storage'. And, yes, do allow turning off all data and NOT from a service call, just a simple option. Also don't block features that clearly don't need that like lane following. Having ranted a bit though, in the world of car companies an official policy on how to turn data off is amazing. The bar is so low right now that it is crazy to think this terrible implementation riddled with dark patterns is a 'win'. These companies need to be shut down.
- threecheese 6mo ago
  My understanding is that Rivian’s lane keeping (and other features like it) are only possible because of driving data collected to train their models. It’s not such a stretch to believe that there’s some aspect of this that is specific to a driver or to a vehicle, and so requires that they collect your data. Even if this is not accurate, I can see a business making the decision that, given they need more and more data to improve the model, they would not allow customers to opt-out of that training cohort and still use the feature. Incentives etc. Directionally though, I am with you on auto telematics data collection; I am not sure you can even buy a new car in the US that doesn’t ship with tracking, and many manufacturers (like the one who makes my car) don’t allow opt out at all. Fcking Stellantis
sigmar 6mo ago
Very tangentially related- Does Rivian put software licenses in the OS UI somewhere? Couldn't find it when I was playing with my friend's car. Seems odd if it is android-based...
skilning 6mo ago
Why the hell would disabling internet connectivity disable lane-keeping assist? O.o
- tricolon 6mo ago
  Because Rivian doesn't have a mode for _just_ lane-keeping. There's Adaptive Cruise Control (which maintains speed) and there's Highway Assist (which maintains speed and position in the lane). Highway Assist only works on certain mapped highways.
gulzo 6mo ago
[dead]
cantalopes 6mo ago
Why cant users disable connectivity elsewhere other thsn canada? People are supposed to call their car dealer each time after car update before turning it off again? Seems to be a cheap pr stunt to portray canadian regulation in attempt to shed good light on rivian
- darknavi 6mo ago
  The same reason Windows only respects users choices in Europe, they make more money with the settings elsewhere in the world and will only change unless regulated. > In the EEA, Windows will always use customers’ configured app default settings for link and file types, including industry standard browser link types (http, https). https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2023/11/16/previewing-changes-in-windows-to-comply-with-the-digital-markets-act-in-the-european-economic-area/ https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2023/11/16/preview...
- RevEng 6mo ago
  I don't know for certain, but likely because they are required to. There are lots of other examples where companies will only abide by regulations in places where it's required rather than applying it generally. A common example in Canada is with things like lotteries, coupons, or returns - many things exempt Quebec because it's not allowed there, but the companies still place that burden on everyone else they can.
1970-01-01 6mo ago
We all know selling your information to 3rd parties is a virtual goldmine. Either Rivian is doing much better than expected in the luxury space or they're unaware of the value of this data. There's no evidence of old fashioned goodwill here.
- Aboutplants 6mo ago
  I think they know only a small percentage will actually turn it off, the data they get from the other 90% is worth the good will you get from the 10% that opt out. It’s a fair trade off
traderj0e 6mo ago
Props to them. I'm holding onto an old car partially cause of this. Aside from semi theoretical problems like privacy and attack vectors, car tech is constantly annoying.
- Silhouette 6mo ago
  Are either privacy breaches or remote attacks really still in any way theoretical dangers? There have been numerous demonstrations of vehicles or their occupants being monitored, disrupted, or stolen as a direct result of the modern remote/online tech they usually come with now. I know quite a few people - myself included - who are wary of buying any new car that has all this junk tech built in and prefer to stick with older models for now.
  - traderj0e 6mo ago
    There's research demonstrating attacks or showing horrible vulns like Subaru's remote unlock, but I've never heard of someone's car actually getting stolen or tampered with by a criminal by hacking it over the internet. Normally it's more local methods like key fob spoofing. Maybe I missed a story. That and for me in particular, my car isn't any more secure, it's a P71 so I was able to buy a spare key on eBay.
deleted 6mo ago
[deleted]
h4kunamata 6mo ago
Cars before the enshitification, already had tons of security issues, I remember watching a hacker stopping a BMW the reports was driving in the middle of the highway. This was decades and decades ago, imagine now?? When I bought a 2025 Suzuki Jimny XL, I wanted a car, not a computer on wheels. - physical buttons everywhere - head unit is the only touch screen - Non-invasive safety features - No firmware update - No internet connection - No enshitification It is what cars used to be back in the day with minor modern touch like LED headlight. Its headlight does not have direct connection to the ECU. Toyota cars, especially the new ones can be stolen by breaking the headlight and using its harness to talk with the ECU. Virtually speaking, all Toyota cars are being stolen like hotcake in Australia. People buying these EVs do not understand how deep it goes buying a car you do not own. Testa has done this over and over, removed features from the car via OTA update. Car was never meant to be a computer on wheel.
senectus1 6mo ago
excellent. Hope to see more of this.
Svoka 6mo ago
Reading comments, I expectantly see a lot of cheering for this step, with many calling for further measures. I understand that privacy features are important to some people, but I am not one of them. Can someone provide what needs these feature covers? Like, what are some reason to disable all internet connectivity? I am genuinely curious.
- LocalH 6mo ago
  So you're okay with every single company being able to track you, build a profile to you, and sell that profile to the highest bidder, while you get nothing remotely comparable in value?
  - Svoka 6mo ago
    I feel like I am getting access to lots of products in part shaped by my data. It is not like I have better things to do with it.
    - dissolution 6mo ago
      [dead]
    - b3lvedere 6mo ago
      No worries that processed data might profile you in a bad way in the forseeable future?
      - Svoka 6mo ago
        Not really. I have enough to worry about in the present rather than worry about imaginary future scenarios. I also think that since this is something most people are agreeing to, if it would turn really sour there would be enough of public outrage to make the worst of consequences illegal.
stealthlogic 6mo ago
[dead]
Sophira 6mo ago
In the UK, this URL simply redirects to the UK version of the homepage, sadly. For anyone in the same situation, https://web.archive.org/web/20260430234304/https://rivian.com/support/article/can-i-disable-all-data-collection-from-my-vehicle https://web.archive.org/web/20260430234304/https://rivian.co... leads to the correct page.
__fst__ 6mo ago
Are there any electric cars that don't need internet connectivity via wifi/esim at all? I'm looking for something really simple. A chassis, four wheels, an engine, airbags. Basically my current ICE car, just electric.
- m463 6mo ago
  I read the upcoming slate truck might be that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_Truck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_Truck https://www.slate.auto https://www.slate.auto Unlike most vehicles sold in the United States, the Slate Truck is not expected to have any in-car entertainment system; instead, customers are expected to use their own mobile device for audio streaming, navigation, and over-the-air updates for their trucks.
- ErroneousBosh 6mo ago
  What's your current ICE car? If it's a fairly simple front wheel drive platform you can probably transplant the battery and traction pack from a Nissan Leaf or similar into it. Incidentally if you can get enough cold water into it you can get around 150bhp out of a first-gen Nissan Leaf motor for a few seconds, which is really all you're going to need. There's a guy in the south of England who makes tubular steel spaceframe chassis replacements for VW Beetles, that are compatible with most kit car bodies. Instead of taking a hard-to-get Beetle engine and gearbox they take an MGF engine and gearbox, but I bet you could cram your Leaf motors and batteries in. There you go, now you're running around town in a ridiculously quick electric beach buggy. How cool is that?
- rsolva 6mo ago
  I can recommend the VW e-UP!s from 2013-2016ish. They have very little tech in them but are relatively modern. You can also quite easily tap into the control systems (climate etc) to remote control it with your own hardware: https://docs.openvehicles.com/en/latest/components/vehicle_vweup/docs/index.html https://docs.openvehicles.com/en/latest/components/vehicle_v... They are also super fun to drive and, although they have small batteries, the can charge at 40-50kWh, which translates to 10 minutes to ~85% full. We have used a eUP 2013 model to travel across europe (~900km) in two days, many times! One charge last between one and two hours, depending on speed and weather. We usually cruse at about 90km/h, and the car is basically sipping electrons! The newer model have double the range, but I have not owned or testet them, but might be a decent compromise for longer travels.
tzm 6mo ago
Does it improve things or break things?
Streamables 6mo ago
On a single device or within a surrounding area like a walking EMP zone? now thatd be useful.
- underover13 6mo ago
  I'm pretty sure they mean across the whole nation. The entire internet is disabled.
m463 6mo ago
tesla let you do this too - they would pull the e-sim. They mentioned that wifi would automatically connect to tesla hotspots at the dealer.
appz3 6mo ago
[flagged]
spl757 6mo ago
in response to most of this thread, the answer is summed up in one word. greed
ghssds 6mo ago
alternatively, how old should the car be so i know there is no data being collected?
exabrial 6mo ago
I still don't understand why this isn't treated as a national security threat. If X bad guy wanted to do devastating damage to the US Economy during a wartime situation, even a day "burb" in transportation would swing the tide of a war, let alone permanently disabling thousands of workers from getting to their jobs. Cell connected vehicles are unnecessary and a danger for so many reasons.
- a96 6mo ago
  Because it's your nation and its businesses that want this.
sciencesama 6mo ago
can this be done on a tesla ?
codedokode 6mo ago
Internet-connected cars are a national security issue when manufacturers are from one country (A) and consumer is in another country (B). For example, the President of country A might wake up in a bad mood and order to disable all A-manufactured cars in B until they reconsider the trade deal. Or, he might order to collect geolocation, plugged for charging smartphone data, audio and video recordings from cars in B belonging to military personnel. Smart cars can record street views, location of WiFi access points and GSM towers, and this data is useful for guiding missiles and drones when GPS is being jammed. And how can we deal with this? Inspections on import? Country-level DPI to block data exfiltration? But DPI is not perfect because there are obfuscation and VPNs. And today we have Starlinks as well, which are difficult to block. Except from banning foreign smart cars altogether, there seems to be no simple solution. Or maybe oblige the manufacturer to use local computer boards and software when importing cars?
- haritha-j 6mo ago
  The president of a country disable another country's cars to push a trade deal because he was in a bad mood? What an utterly ludicrous and silly notion. Is what I would've said two years ago. I wish it was two years ago.
- duskdozer 6mo ago
  Less internet connection in cars?
- msh 6mo ago
  Do it like china does with iphones. Apple sells them but icloud in china is controlled fully by a chinese company owned and operated by chinese citizens. While this does not fully prevent backdoors and hacking it does raise the bar quite a lot.
  - thesuitonym 6mo ago
    Or, here's a crazy idea: Maybe cars don't need to connect to the internet at all.
brokenmachine 6mo ago
Interesting how the question is about disabling collection, but the answer is about connectivity.
- mudkipdev 6mo ago
  Mods renamed it
b3lvedere 6mo ago
"Can I disable all data collection from my vehicle? Vehicle connectivity is a core feature .. blah blah blah" I absolutely hate these kind of answers. I understand why the answer is written that way, but i truly hate it to the core. They are marketing speak/CYA answers. Why i hate it? Because i do not mind the communication, but i absolotely do mind the collecting and harvesting. I don't want to lose connectivity. I want to lose all the effing data harvesting. I don't mind leaving data and using navigation, but i do not want the data effing harvested. I want to have phone calls, but i do not want my calls logged for a long time so that these logs can be abused in any form by someone or something. ALL of these features do NOT need long time logging for it to function. This pay-with-your-privacy system has to stop.
fainpul 6mo ago
The user wants to "disable data collection". The manufacturer offers only a kill switch for all connectivity, with all the unwanted effects (which they helpfully list). I've seen this pattern before. It's a lame cop-out. "Of course you can do that, but you'll have to accept all these negative consequences. There's nothing we can do about it. You brought this onto yourself."
- b3lvedere 6mo ago
  Exactly. It's extremely annoying.
- throwaway132448 6mo ago
  Google loves this pattern. It's what pushed me away from them.
- thomas_viaelo 6mo ago
  [flagged]
- bobsmooth 6mo ago
  The Onion covered this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMChO0qNbkY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMChO0qNbkY
dackdel 6mo ago
buy a car manufactured before 2004 :P
beAbU 6mo ago
My 2026 Kia EV comes with an "offline mode" in the settings, which disables all the connected features in the car, including OTA updates. I wonder if this sufficiently insulates me from their spying?
atoav 6mo ago
Aside from this you may also consider that newer cars are sending out unencrypted but digitally signed data via ITS (in Europe) or DSRC/C-V2X (USA) that potentially anybody with an antenna can collect. That includes positional data, speed, whether you're pressing the gas pedal or braking etc. Since it is meant as a Car-to-Car solution, e.g. to warn other cars when there is an accident the reach isn't great, but some of the signals (e.g. warning of a traffic jam) may be propagated by other cars. See this German talk on the European system: https://media.ccc.de/v/glt26-688-c-its-mit-einem-esp32-ampeln-straenbahnen-und-autos-tracken/audio https://media.ccc.de/v/glt26-688-c-its-mit-einem-esp32-ampel... I think they have a English translation or dub somewhere
nloomans 6mo ago
https://archive.is/4HBye https://archive.is/4HBye Website redirects to the regional homepage instead of showing the actual article. I don't get why this is still a thing.
egberts1 6mo ago
Easiest way to protect against data collection is replace the antenna with a 50Ω resistor cap.
retired 6mo ago
First thing I do on rental cars is pull out any devices plugged into the OBD port and follow the wiring for a bit to see if the port is duplicated. I'll plug it back in when they ask for it, that way I know it is not a bad actor at play. Second thing is to do a factory reset on the infotainment and press "deny" on anything. Third thing is to use a USB sanitizer so plugging in the USB-port doesn't sync any of my data with the car or initiate a pairing. Final thing is to check tire pressure, unrelated to above but 9 out of 10 times the tire pressure on rental cars is incorrect. I have a little pen tester in my travel kit.
ge96 6mo ago
I'm just glad I'm into older sports cars so I don't have to worry about this crap
dmitrygr 6mo ago
> Can I disable all data collection from my vehicle? replace cell antenna with a 50ohm resistor. you can buy the proper connector on mouser.com
p_ing 6mo ago
I pulled the TPUs from my Hondas. There is no software option to disable, but also no features I miss out on (ie Honda app or any of the useless to me subscriptions). Happy I did, along with the ANC/fake engine noise modules. My phone still tracks me :-)
up2isomorphism 6mo ago
I have stopped buying any new vehicles that collect “data” and has an internet connections for a long time. But it seems plenty of people does not care about it.
Alifatisk 6mo ago
> it will also limit or disable certain functionality in the vehicle (e.g., navigation, active lane centering, and over-the-air updates, which provide new features, better performance, safety enhancements, and bug fixes). I fear this trend in the automotive industry will only complicate things further and introduce more unnecessary risk in our daily life. Is it too much to ask for a dumb car which is durable and takes me from point A to point B? I do not want my future car to be dependent on the manufacturers CI/CD pipeline.
biosboiii 6mo ago
fyi: modern vehicles are required to have a e(mergency)Call function (UNECE UN-R 144), therefore all of these cars have a modem with a unique IMEI (that is typically bound to a VIN), therefore you can track the movements of every car pretty precisely. Disabling the eCall is not possible, and doing so (in the EU) would void your car's registration.

760 points by Cider9986 6mo ago

I remember yanking out the onstar unit in my 2015 silverado to physically disconnect the cell antenna. This was (is?) the only practical way to disable cellular in that vehicle. Kudos to Rivian for making this a supported user privacy feature.

cj 6mo ago
As someone who got into a rollover accident which ended with my car upside down on a freeway, hearing only the onstar person talking to me while half conscious, this is sad. I do distinctely remember strongly disliking the user agreement I signed for the "internet connected" features of the car when I bought it. 100% rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn't' find a way to opt out, and I wasn't so motivated to physically remove it from my new car. Thankfully. Shouldn't have to trade privacy for safety.
- karlgkk 6mo ago
  > As someone who got into a rollover accident which ended with my car upside down on a freeway, hearing only the onstar person talking to me while half conscious, this is sad. My phone does this now. Most phones do it now.
  - Barbing 6mo ago
    Stress test your mounts!
  - xp84 6mo ago
    Maybe in theory, but I trust Apple to detect a crash correctly about as far as I can throw my iPhone without breaking its glass back or front. This is the company whose flagship voice assistant, in 2026, can’t tell the intended recipient in a sentence like “Text Bob Mary signed the deal.” And if my phone happens to be thrown into the back of the car by the crash, I doubt anyone will be able to hear me. Not to mention that OnStar has operators who talk to first responders. the cell phone thing will just call 911 and hope for the best. I pay for OnStar, and think it’s worth it.
    - booi 6mo ago
      sorry, I didn't find someone named "bob mary" in your contacts list
      - warkdarrior 6mo ago
        "I found this on the web. Check it out."
      - xp84 6mo ago
        Yup! Or it starts a group text with Bob AND Mary saying “signed the deal”
    - martin_a 6mo ago
      Lol, same thing for Android, too. It has full access to my contact list, but if I tell it to "Call Stephan Beier" I see the transcript for "Beyer" and then it fails. That sounds the same in German, now what shall I do. Stupid thing.
      - Terr_ 6mo ago
        Other "it's the future year 2026 how the hell are things still this bad" examples: 1. For years "Navigate Home" has done exactly what you'd expect, then one morning it decides traveling to Home Depot is the only possible interpretation. 2. A bog-standard timed alarm goes off, and half the time "Silence Alarm" leads to it insisting that there are no alarms going off right now. What stings is that these aren't issues with ambiguous grammar or unusual phrasings, these are extremely predictable commands for features I would expect in the minimum viable product.
      - happymellon 6mo ago
        When they forced us to use Gemini as the assistant, saying "hey Google call X" stopped working because it came up with a list of phone numbers for them and I couldn't tell it "home" or "mobile" because I had to manually select. That lasted about 6 hours before I figured out how to switch back to Assistant.
    - FireBeyond 6mo ago
  - reaperducer 6mo ago
    My phone does this now. Most phones do it now. Only if it hasn't been crushed, damaged, or otherwise flung out of the vehicle that crashed so violently that it's actually upside down, as noted in the original comment.
    - dghlsakjg 6mo ago
      The same is true of the cell phone hardware built into the vehicle that is crashed and upside down.
- nancyminusone 6mo ago
  >Shouldn't have to trade privacy for safety. You shouldn't have to, and yet... https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/01/ftc-finalizes-order-settling-allegations-gm-onstar-collected-sold-geolocation-data-without-consumers https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/01/...
- yason 6mo ago
  There's absolutely no reason an emergency e-call system needs to connect via the car systems such as infotainment. It could be a standalone module that does its own thing regardless of whether the car is permanently disconnected from everywhere. Probably should too, given its nature. And not just could: there are aftermarket e-call systems that do not integrate beyond requiring 12V supply. This is how cars used to be made. Features were standalone modules: there could be some bus traffic about optional data (wiper module with rain sensor could broadcast that it's raining and body control module could hear that and could be configured to close windows when raining) but they weren't strictly integrated in any meaningful capacity. You could change the radio unit to whatever you liked: if you were lucky you could get one that can actually understand what the other modules in the car were saying and show some non-enterntainment info on its screen as well. Navigation used to be a standalone system that had GPS receiver but nothing else in the car couldn't necessarily tap into the location data. SUre, it meant some more wires and maybe the features had disconnects because they weren't aware of each other that much but all in all that was a good thing. It kept everything simple, isolated and repairable. Now because of more integration the modules need to know who they're talking to which leads to bizarre things like having to code in new headlights and pair them with other modules or they won't be recognized and just stay off.
- dmitrygr 6mo ago
  > As someone who got into a rollover accident which ended with my car upside down on a freeway, hearing only the onstar person talking to me while half conscious, this is sad. Get an iPhone or an apple watch - they offer this same service with a more sane privacy policy.
nullc 6mo ago
They've fixed that in later models, disconnecting the module disables the dash now. But don't worry, the FTC is out to protect you. Their settlement with GM says that can only sell your name attached to zipcode resolution location data and only sell your precise location trace attached to an opaque ID rather than your name.
- willis936 6mo ago
  I've reliably disconnected Toyotas and VWs by pulling the cell antenna connections from the telematics modules in the dash. The GPS antenna is separate and still aids in carplay navigation.
  - slumberlust 6mo ago
    How did you confirm this? I believe you think you did it, but is there any way to confirm its not still sending via another module?
    - willis936 6mo ago
      I have the service manual and can see there is only one telematics module in the car. It has two redundant LTE antennas and one GPS antenna going into the telematics module. The onstar calling works when the antennas are plugged in and doesn't when they're not. Can I confirm that they don't hide a bug somewhere in my car without stripping it down to the bone? No, but I'm not a schizo, so I won't bother.
      - nullc 6mo ago
        That is a very reasonable level of diligence, but I don't think it's right to characterize further skepticism as "schizo" -- lets imagine the car has a separate entertainment system or sirusxm radio (perhaps not the case for yours)-- in that case it might have an entirely separate telematics function reporting back to a different corporate master. Because of how cars are built there are many places where subsystems are effectively duplicated. Sirus performing telematics in addition to the manufactures hardware isn't a hypothetical example. More fair to say that you satisfied your level of concern. But it's entirely not schizo for someone to be concerned that there was more than one tracking vector, especially given that manufactures already active inhibit efforts to disable tracking and ordinary practices of the automotive industry. Or, in other words, please don't privacy shame people. If you felt your approach was sufficient-- awesome! Better to be nothing like the people who were others names online for asking about disabling telematics at all, only to be all shocked pikachu when their insurer jacked their rates later based on their driving activity. :P
dlenski 6mo ago
> Kudos to Rivian for making this a supported user privacy feature. Same. This is the first thing that I've ever read that makes me think I might be willing to buy a modern vehicle.
Brian_K_White 6mo ago
Similar I got a new 2025 4runner last summer and... A: never once installed the app or registered an account, which flummoxxed the salesman so much he argued with me for 10 minutes trying to say that I had to set up the app to even take delivery, even though I paid cash in full. He even cried to mama (the manager) to find out what to do about this impossible situation. In the end, of course you do not actually need to install the app, even temporarily just for a one-time setup, or even register an account. But MAN do they want you to. B: Within a few weeks found that someone makes a kit that lets you completely disconnect the telemetry & internet functionality module while providing some pass-through connections that normally go through that box. Apparently in this case all the bad stuff is conveniently in one box you can disconnect, and still have normal bluetooth for android auto, apple car play, or plain bluetooth headset & media. So still have gps & media on the console stcreen. I can only assume that this won't stay so convenient. They could have anything require anything else any time they want. They do offer an official way to disable all internet features (remote start from your phone from any distance, remote vehicle monitor, tracking/shutdown, etc), but all that does is disable the useful functions for you, while not disabling any of the functions they use for themselves. It's still actively logging and uploading data, and they still have the ability to remotely track and even disable the vehicle. I've been to the dealer (different from purchase) once for a free oil change and they didn't say anything. So idk if they even tried to do any updates, or they have some other way to do it or what. https://www.autoharnesshouse.com/store/AHH-DCM77 https://www.autoharnesshouse.com/store/AHH-DCM77
rurp 6mo ago
Saying you need to physically take the car into them, unless you're in a country that requires them to provide the option, and disabling other features out of spite isn't what I would call a supported user privacy feature.

jryio 6mo ago

Reminds me of Zed's setting { "disable_ai": true } [1] Glad it's an option be it for regulatory compliance, security, privacy, or any combination of the three. [1]: https://zed.dev/blog/disable-ai-features https://zed.dev/blog/disable-ai-features

giancarlostoro 6mo ago
Zed is one of the best editors I've ever seen, I always worried the mention of AI would put off people who are missing out on a truly amazing editor.
- ModernMech 6mo ago
  The thing that really puts people off about Zed is "VC-funded"
  - sieabahlpark 6mo ago
    [dead]
  - nathanmills 6mo ago
    Hacker News is not for you then.
    - boringg 6mo ago
      There is a healthy dose of VC skepticism here. HN is here for that.
      - dmoy 6mo ago
        I think they meant that ycombinator is literally a VC shop So if being VC funded puts you off an editor, being VC funded may also put you off ycombinator.com
        ModernMech 6mo ago

whichken 6mo ago

If they can make it a toggle for Canadian vehicles, why do you need to schedule an appointment in the US? Obviously it's so they can try to talk you out of it, but c'mon, just give everyone a toggle.

deleted 6mo ago

[deleted]

simpaticoder 6mo ago

This is insufficient. There needs to be a physical button that either physically disconnects every antenna and/or de-powers the transceiver.

janice1999 6mo ago
They could store data and then dump it later when the vehicle is being serviced. Unless their privacy states otherwise, assume data is being gathered and sold. Other car manufactures have been caught selling travel data. It's not even that paranoid. Google has been fined in the past for secretly collecting location data in Android when offline and then relaying it back to HQ once the phone got a signal.
carlgreene 6mo ago
Kinda rich coming from someone who doesn't even have a valid SSL cert on the website in their profile bio...
- yjftsjthsd-h 6mo ago
  What does that have to do with anything?
  - booi 6mo ago
    didn't you get the memo? If you don't set up proper SSL certificates you can't give opinions on the features you want in a car...
  - nathanmills 6mo ago
    He expects an absurd level of effort from other people to protect privacy when he isn't doing the bare minimum for what he actually does himself.
    - pessimizer 6mo ago
      > a physical button New definition of "absurd" just dropped...

janice1999 6mo ago

Disabling internet connectivity disables lane keeping assistance. I wonder if this is a dark pattern to punish users who opt out or because they feel they need reports of crashes ahead to do it safely.

happyopossum 6mo ago
They need to keep lane availability up to date - lanes get closed for repair or realignment sometimes and it’d suck to rear-end an 18 ton grader because you don’t have current DOT info…
- ibejoeb 6mo ago
  I didn't know that. I assumed it was sensor-based. How up-to-date can that really be? That sounds pretty crazy.
- Terr_ 6mo ago
  Anybody relying on lane-keeping assistance to prevent from slamming into the back of big yellow construction vehicle is doing it wrong, and we should be thankful they didn't hit something else with more victims.
  - ErroneousBosh 6mo ago
    The problem is that the lane keeping assist freaks out quite often and will steer you into obstacles that are in your lane. I will say though the the new version of the Kia Niro EVs we have is a lot better in that regard - it just kind of gently nudges the steering, it feels more like the car is tramlining a bit. The older versions we had at work would actively try to steer you into other vehicles.
- al_borland 6mo ago
  My assumption would be that lane keeping would be about staying in the lines ahead of you, not knowing which lanes are available on the route. Available lanes can change in real-time due to all kinds of reasons.

deleted 6mo ago

[deleted]

cyberax 6mo ago

How about also adding Android Auto as well? Oh no, it'd take away their "control the user experience" power-tripping.

johnea 6mo ago
So why would you prefer goggle's "control the user experience" power-tripping, to rivian's? I'd much rather side with the company that was willing to allow the user to disable net connectivity...
- philipallstar 6mo ago
  Your phone has an airplane mode.
  - Terr_ 6mo ago
    Also, I can replace or upgrade my phone a hell of a lot more easily than I can replace my car.
    - philipallstar 6mo ago
      Yep!
- cyberax 6mo ago
  My phone runs GrapheneOS and does not use any Google service. But it supports Android Auto. Allowing it would dramatically improve the experience. Instead, Rivian adds a purely performative toggle that makes the car's navigation largely useless and doesn't provide a good alternative.
- yjftsjthsd-h 6mo ago
  I would prefer to have the choice.
- babypuncher 6mo ago
  Ideally, they would support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. There are a few big reasons this is preferable. - I already pay for internet on my phone, I'm not interested in paying for another cellular service just to get maps and music streaming on the screen in my car. GM ditched CarPlay specifically to push customers to their subscription service. I know some electric automakers are offering it "for free", but I do not trust that it will remain free, and that's important when spending tens of thousands of dollars on something you plan to use for a decade+. - Third party app ecosystem means I can use the maps and music player I want, and not just what my car manufacturer decides is worth including. - Auto manufacturers suck at software. I've yet to use an infotainment system that wasn't a stark downgrade from CarPlay. Basically, my car shouldn't need an internet connection because my smartphone already does all the same things but better.

amelius 6mo ago

I just want to bring my own electronics.

sudb 6mo ago
If you mean the self-driving part specifically, apparently Comma AI already does this: https://comma.ai/ https://comma.ai/

livinglist 6mo ago

I’m still very happy with my 2024 4Runner, one of the purchases I never regretted a single bit, I did have a Sony head unit installed for a larger screen with support of wireless Apple CarPlay, and that’s enough tech in a car for me. My wife keeps complaining about its lack of auto lane keeping but I’m ok with it bc I enjoy driving it.

bri3d 6mo ago

> limit or disable certain functionality in the vehicle: ... over-the-air updates, which provide new ... safety enhancements ... I wonder what happens if you disable the e-SIM (in the US) and then a safety recall appears via software update - do dealers have any way to update control modules besides OTA? This is a huge unresolved issue with EVs IMO; ICE cars are required to provide emissions-relevant updates over software which can operate using a J2534 passthrough device, which effectively means powertrain modules have to allow (potentially signed) updates over CAN using software that can be obtained by an end user (a lot of people don't know this; for almost any ICE car in the US, you can buy a 3-day or 1-week subscription to the dealership level diagnostic software for a somewhat reasonable fee and use it with a J2534 device). But for EVs, there's no such rule and as far as I can tell it's entirely a gray area in the US now; the NHTSA require a "remedy" for recalls but nobody seems to have pushed back to determine whether OTA is truly a remedy. The traditional autos all offer dealerships as a backup option, but Tesla and Rivian have several recalls with only OTA remedies already. This seems sketchy.

stronglikedan 6mo ago
> do dealers have any way to update control modules besides OTA? I get some updates OTA, but the dealer has to install some others, and when I took it there they updated it with a USB stick.
- bri3d 6mo ago
  Nice, thanks for the reply; this is surprisingly undocumented online. Presumably if they got cornered and the module under repair was updatable via this mechanism they'd have some ability to use that system, then. I wonder how charitable they will be about using it for non-recall updates for customers who have solely chosen to opt out. Rivian are probably the only major manufacturer I've never had a chance to look at in any RE capacity and I'm getting more curious by the second. The reaction their vehicles had to the infamous bricked-infotainment update actually represented a pretty good adherence to safety guidelines (the drivetrain as well as the speedometer and warning lights on the cluster still worked in a degraded format even when the infotainment was bricked) IMO, so they do seem to apply a reasonable degree of care.

baggachipz 6mo ago

This is the sign of a company who listens to their customers. They have received feedback saying some people don't want a connected car, so they make it an option.

xyst 6mo ago
Or trying to get ahead of competition such as slate.
- conductr 6mo ago
  I’m weighing whether I should get a Slate or R2 next. Yet, somehow, I feel like these don’t compete directly much. Perhaps I’m wrong. My friends with R1s would never consider a Slate. Maybe the R2 is more of a match even at twice the price.
  - baggachipz 6mo ago
    I think that: 1) Slate will still not be available for a while, and 2) Once you get everything you want on it, the price won't be that much better. But that's just my take. Don't get me wrong, I look forward to Slate being available and think it's compelling, but just my cynical take.
    - conductr 6mo ago
      I love the cynicism! My thought is that’s why it doesn’t compete for many people. Either you like Slate for what it is (simplistic, low features, or just really want that customization yourself) or you think it’s too simplistic, want a lot of features, or like the luxury finishes - so you just buy a Rivian without considering the Slate. I’ve been wanting something like the Slate for a long time and am truly excited by it. The more they’ve commented on specifics however, the more I feel like it’s a risky buy though (for me and my needs). If they do the test drive tour I’m going to make sure to visit it, the whole preorder a car from a company that doesn’t exist thing stokes my anxiety a bit too. Rivian at least I’m familiar with but I’m definitely in the “this company is going bankrupt camp” and don’t see their path towards profitability. So hard for me to buy their product even if they are built for camping

Cider9986 6mo ago

Related: Mozilla did a review of different cars for privacy: (https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/its-official-cars-are-the-worst-product-category-we-have-ever-reviewed-for-privacy/ https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/privacynotincluded/arti...) >Nissan earned its second-to-last spot for collecting some of the creepiest categories of data we have ever seen. [Their privacy policy] includes your “sexual activity.” Not to be out done, Kia also mentions they can collect information about your “sex life” in their privacy policy. Oh, and six car companies say they can collect your “genetic information” or “genetic characteristics.”

pesus 6mo ago
Ignoring the fact that it's absolutely unhinged and bonkers to include that in the first place, I don't even understand how they could possibly ever get any information about that. Are they using LLMs to generate these policies without review? Or are there really lawyers out there who thought this was pertinent and important to include?
- LamaOfRuin 6mo ago
  Any car that can record audio in the cabin could have information about your sexual activity. Could also argue it based on location data. Some laws require discussing very specific lists of categories of information they might have. I'm guessing this is a completionist CYA lawyer accounting for this.
  - henryfjordan 6mo ago
    I was thinking all it takes is an IMU to tell if the car is a rockin'
    - Barbing 6mo ago
      150lbs on each front seat at 8pm, 300lbs on one rear seat at 2am, they gotcha like Kalanick & the Uber one night standers https://web.archive.org/web/20140827195715/https://blog.uber.com/ridesofglory https://web.archive.org/web/20140827195715/https://blog.uber...

Cider9986 6mo ago

>It sounds to me like this is more akin to the Cellular Data toggle on Android as opposed to Aeroplane mode. If that is the case, it will presumably not prevent your vehicle from connecting to cellular base stations, which means your vehicle will still be trackable by network operators. (https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/rivian-allows-you-to-disable-all-internet-connectivity/37286/4 https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/rivian-allows-you-to-dis...)

ezfe 6mo ago
> disable the eSIM card in the vehicle Disabling a SIM card almost certainly means no connection to the network.
- Cider9986 6mo ago
  Your phone still connects to the cellular network without a sim card or eSim. It is mandated by law in the US. The only way to prevent your phone from connecting/pinging/being pinged by the cellular network is to put it in airplane mode. (https://grapheneos.org/faq#cellular-tracking https://grapheneos.org/faq#cellular-tracking) Whether there is a sim enabled/disabled/installed is irrelevant. The question is whether this feature is Airplain Mode or if it is just disable cellular.
  - ezfe 6mo ago
    Ah, I thought you were likening it to the disable cellular data button which does not disconnect the cellular network. Instead you are referring to the fact that the radio may remain on even if it has no active SIM card. Given that the primary concern of connected vehicles is changes over time and manufacturer control, I don’t see any reason to make that distinction for most people.

WaxProlix 6mo ago

It was expensive but every day I am happy with my Rivian purchase. Great to have a vehicle where the actual users are obviously thought of (contra for instance the cybertruck where some variety 'cool factor' was obviously prioritized, resulting in finger crunching hoods and such).

xyst 6mo ago
[flagged]
- WaxProlix 6mo ago
  Na it's great stay broke Edit: and mad
  - throwaway67438 6mo ago
    [flagged]
    - jitler 6mo ago
      [dead]
    - ZeWaka 6mo ago
      >account named throwaway67438 with one comment hmm. not sure who this 'rest of us' is. is it a free-range organic bot farm?
    - HDBaseT 6mo ago
      'Elon Derangement Syndrome' as opposed to 'Elon dick ride syndrome'. I see your type of people on Twitter all the time, they complain that someone was critical of Elon (and in this circumstance he wasn't even calling out Elon. He literally commented on a known flaw with the Cybertruck) yet people like you come out of the woodwork and defend everything. You've got yourself worked up about something that has nothing to do with Elon. I always like checking out those peoples profiles and their whole life revolves around Elon. That is a bigger disorder in my opinion. Maybe your the problem?

bilsbie 6mo ago

I wish Tesla did this.

ibejoeb 6mo ago

>For non-Canadian vehicles, you may reach out to Rivian Service to request that we disable the eSIM card in the vehicle through a service appointment. Why is that? I really don't want to bring it to the shop to turn off the radio. In Canada it's a toggle in the settings. Is there Canadian legislation mandating this or something?

SrslyJosh 6mo ago
Yes, no credit if I have to ask someone to turn it off for me. It could obviously be a toggle here in the US.

girvo 6mo ago

Amusingly, my Cupra Born has all its connectivity disabled... because Cupra Australia just didn't want to bring it to this country. Not a bad thing really, aside from the annoying red notification dot telling me I have no signal!

dlev_pika 6mo ago

> limit or disable certain functionality in the vehicle (e.g., navigation, lane keeping assistance (…) Curious why lane keeping assistance would need to communicate externally. Isn’t all this processed in the vehicle?

gnabgib 6mo ago
You're reading too much into the editorialized title, this is a FAQ for Can I disable all data collection from my vehicle? Lane keeping assist likely (a) shares data back to Rivian, and (b) depends on GPS and (live) map data to know location specific settings.. that there are 4 lanes on this road and the left 2 lead somewhere else (etc). Line detection (on-device) isn't always reliable (snow, rain, ice, mud, gravel, construction)
Fnoord 6mo ago
I find it ridiculous navigation would require always-on internet connectivity. Seems a regression from the offline TomTom devices from the past.
- rmunn 6mo ago
  I've only used Google Maps for navigation myself so can't speak to what Rivian does. But Google Maps uses Internet access to determine the speed of traffic on your route, allowing it suggest alternate routes if there's a traffic jam. (It also uploads the speed that you're traveling to Google servers, which is how they know about traffic jams to begin with: in many cities they could buy data from traffic cameras, but in stretches of rural highway where there are no cameras, Google Maps still knows when traffic has slowed down to a crawl. Guess how.) It also uses the Internet access to access reports like "There's a police car / stalled vehicle / object on road ahead". It may do other things with Internet access that I don't know about, but those are the two that I do know about. And at least the object-on-road feature is one I'm glad they have. I once saw a truck ahead of me in my lane suddenly swerve hard onto the shoulder, which alerted me to danger. (The truck driver remained in control of the truck, thankfully). And there was a wooden pallet lying squarely in the right lane of the highway. I avoided it by moving into the left lane, then once I spotted a mile marker I pulled over and called 911 to report the traffic hazard. About ten minutes later, as I was driving on, I saw a police car on the opposite side of the highway, heading towards where I had reported the pallet on the highway. No way of knowing whether that car was the one responding to my call, but the timing suggests it was. Hopefully nobody had an accident before the pallet got cleared away. These days Google Maps would be able to alert people to the hazard before they got close, so nobody will be in the situation I was where the vehicle in front of them blocked their view of the hazard until they were quite close. Long story short (yeah, yeah, I know: "too late"), some Internet-required features of modern navigation are ones I'm glad they have.

pokstad 6mo ago

Show me where I can rip out the antennae/modem, otherwise you’re all talk.

myself248 6mo ago
Exactly. Any software toggle can un-toggle itself.

VortexLain 6mo ago

It would have been much better to be able to disable telemetry without losing basic functionality such as navigation and safety updates. Having to choose between being spied on and having no connectivity at all is a false dichotomy.

smotched 6mo ago
what telemetry are you worried about if you're already sharing your exact location at all times (navigation)
- mingus88 6mo ago
  I’m not OP but I just want to point out that navigation doesn’t need to mean I am always sharing telemetry with multiple third parties I have a garmin watch which is great for overland hiking, multiple day expeditions etc I download the maps and the watch has GPS to plot where I am on that map. My watch doesn’t have an eSIM at all. Rivian is an adventure brand so if they wanted to design a maps system like that, where I am not continually downloading tiles from open maps or google and sending my location to them and others, they probably could I just don’t think they have space for those types of features most people don’t care about while they are trying to compete in a rough industry and deliver new vehicles
  - samplatt 6mo ago
    It's telling just how completely successful the social media revolution has been, when we don't remember that two short decades ago 3rd-party car navigation options that relied on maps loaded on the device and GPS input and that's all. No SIM cards (though they could have done so at the time), no telemetry. The experience was even comparable to today's experience - I've been auto-routed around a road closure, like, twice in 5 years? And it _failed_ to route me around a road closure probably twice as well?
- kelnos 6mo ago
  Why would you be sharing that? There's no reason why the navigation system needs to constantly tell a remote system where you are. Navigation systems don't even need an Internet connection for basic routing.

varenc 6mo ago

> For non-Canadian vehicles, you may reach out to Rivian Service to request that we disable the eSIM card in the vehicle through a service appointment. I certainly appreciate that disabling network connectivity is even possible, but a bit scummy that non-Canadians have to make an in-person service appointment. Is there some Canadian law at play here that requires they permit Canadians to disable this easily from the GUI? Would love legislation like that in the US.

rubatuga 6mo ago

Annoying how it doesn't disable the cell modem from registering to a network (in Canada). So no it doesn't provide any tracking protection. Or at least that is how it sounds.

phil_kahrl 6mo ago

Fisker launched that feature over a year ago

jmward01 6mo ago

This is, in a word, crap. We give you a fake option to turn off data and make it egregious by killing features that shouldn't need it like lane keeping. How about instead a real privacy option that actually is true? 'Block identification'. 'disable sim when not in use'. 'no server side storage'. And, yes, do allow turning off all data and NOT from a service call, just a simple option. Also don't block features that clearly don't need that like lane following. Having ranted a bit though, in the world of car companies an official policy on how to turn data off is amazing. The bar is so low right now that it is crazy to think this terrible implementation riddled with dark patterns is a 'win'. These companies need to be shut down.

threecheese 6mo ago
My understanding is that Rivian’s lane keeping (and other features like it) are only possible because of driving data collected to train their models. It’s not such a stretch to believe that there’s some aspect of this that is specific to a driver or to a vehicle, and so requires that they collect your data. Even if this is not accurate, I can see a business making the decision that, given they need more and more data to improve the model, they would not allow customers to opt-out of that training cohort and still use the feature. Incentives etc. Directionally though, I am with you on auto telematics data collection; I am not sure you can even buy a new car in the US that doesn’t ship with tracking, and many manufacturers (like the one who makes my car) don’t allow opt out at all. Fcking Stellantis

sigmar 6mo ago

Very tangentially related- Does Rivian put software licenses in the OS UI somewhere? Couldn't find it when I was playing with my friend's car. Seems odd if it is android-based...

skilning 6mo ago

Why the hell would disabling internet connectivity disable lane-keeping assist? O.o

tricolon 6mo ago
Because Rivian doesn't have a mode for _just_ lane-keeping. There's Adaptive Cruise Control (which maintains speed) and there's Highway Assist (which maintains speed and position in the lane). Highway Assist only works on certain mapped highways.

gulzo 6mo ago

[dead]

cantalopes 6mo ago

Why cant users disable connectivity elsewhere other thsn canada? People are supposed to call their car dealer each time after car update before turning it off again? Seems to be a cheap pr stunt to portray canadian regulation in attempt to shed good light on rivian

darknavi 6mo ago
The same reason Windows only respects users choices in Europe, they make more money with the settings elsewhere in the world and will only change unless regulated. > In the EEA, Windows will always use customers’ configured app default settings for link and file types, including industry standard browser link types (http, https). https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2023/11/16/previewing-changes-in-windows-to-comply-with-the-digital-markets-act-in-the-european-economic-area/ https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2023/11/16/preview...
RevEng 6mo ago
I don't know for certain, but likely because they are required to. There are lots of other examples where companies will only abide by regulations in places where it's required rather than applying it generally. A common example in Canada is with things like lotteries, coupons, or returns - many things exempt Quebec because it's not allowed there, but the companies still place that burden on everyone else they can.

1970-01-01 6mo ago

We all know selling your information to 3rd parties is a virtual goldmine. Either Rivian is doing much better than expected in the luxury space or they're unaware of the value of this data. There's no evidence of old fashioned goodwill here.

Aboutplants 6mo ago
I think they know only a small percentage will actually turn it off, the data they get from the other 90% is worth the good will you get from the 10% that opt out. It’s a fair trade off

traderj0e 6mo ago

Props to them. I'm holding onto an old car partially cause of this. Aside from semi theoretical problems like privacy and attack vectors, car tech is constantly annoying.

Silhouette 6mo ago
Are either privacy breaches or remote attacks really still in any way theoretical dangers? There have been numerous demonstrations of vehicles or their occupants being monitored, disrupted, or stolen as a direct result of the modern remote/online tech they usually come with now. I know quite a few people - myself included - who are wary of buying any new car that has all this junk tech built in and prefer to stick with older models for now.
- traderj0e 6mo ago
  There's research demonstrating attacks or showing horrible vulns like Subaru's remote unlock, but I've never heard of someone's car actually getting stolen or tampered with by a criminal by hacking it over the internet. Normally it's more local methods like key fob spoofing. Maybe I missed a story. That and for me in particular, my car isn't any more secure, it's a P71 so I was able to buy a spare key on eBay.

deleted 6mo ago

[deleted]

h4kunamata 6mo ago

Cars before the enshitification, already had tons of security issues, I remember watching a hacker stopping a BMW the reports was driving in the middle of the highway. This was decades and decades ago, imagine now?? When I bought a 2025 Suzuki Jimny XL, I wanted a car, not a computer on wheels. - physical buttons everywhere - head unit is the only touch screen - Non-invasive safety features - No firmware update - No internet connection - No enshitification It is what cars used to be back in the day with minor modern touch like LED headlight. Its headlight does not have direct connection to the ECU. Toyota cars, especially the new ones can be stolen by breaking the headlight and using its harness to talk with the ECU. Virtually speaking, all Toyota cars are being stolen like hotcake in Australia. People buying these EVs do not understand how deep it goes buying a car you do not own. Testa has done this over and over, removed features from the car via OTA update. Car was never meant to be a computer on wheel.

senectus1 6mo ago

excellent. Hope to see more of this.

Svoka 6mo ago

Reading comments, I expectantly see a lot of cheering for this step, with many calling for further measures. I understand that privacy features are important to some people, but I am not one of them. Can someone provide what needs these feature covers? Like, what are some reason to disable all internet connectivity? I am genuinely curious.

LocalH 6mo ago
So you're okay with every single company being able to track you, build a profile to you, and sell that profile to the highest bidder, while you get nothing remotely comparable in value?
- Svoka 6mo ago
  I feel like I am getting access to lots of products in part shaped by my data. It is not like I have better things to do with it.
  - dissolution 6mo ago
    [dead]
  - b3lvedere 6mo ago
    No worries that processed data might profile you in a bad way in the forseeable future?
    - Svoka 6mo ago
      Not really. I have enough to worry about in the present rather than worry about imaginary future scenarios. I also think that since this is something most people are agreeing to, if it would turn really sour there would be enough of public outrage to make the worst of consequences illegal.

stealthlogic 6mo ago

[dead]

Sophira 6mo ago

In the UK, this URL simply redirects to the UK version of the homepage, sadly. For anyone in the same situation, https://web.archive.org/web/20260430234304/https://rivian.com/support/article/can-i-disable-all-data-collection-from-my-vehicle https://web.archive.org/web/20260430234304/https://rivian.co... leads to the correct page.

__fst__ 6mo ago

Are there any electric cars that don't need internet connectivity via wifi/esim at all? I'm looking for something really simple. A chassis, four wheels, an engine, airbags. Basically my current ICE car, just electric.

m463 6mo ago
I read the upcoming slate truck might be that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_Truck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate_Truck https://www.slate.auto https://www.slate.auto Unlike most vehicles sold in the United States, the Slate Truck is not expected to have any in-car entertainment system; instead, customers are expected to use their own mobile device for audio streaming, navigation, and over-the-air updates for their trucks.
ErroneousBosh 6mo ago
What's your current ICE car? If it's a fairly simple front wheel drive platform you can probably transplant the battery and traction pack from a Nissan Leaf or similar into it. Incidentally if you can get enough cold water into it you can get around 150bhp out of a first-gen Nissan Leaf motor for a few seconds, which is really all you're going to need. There's a guy in the south of England who makes tubular steel spaceframe chassis replacements for VW Beetles, that are compatible with most kit car bodies. Instead of taking a hard-to-get Beetle engine and gearbox they take an MGF engine and gearbox, but I bet you could cram your Leaf motors and batteries in. There you go, now you're running around town in a ridiculously quick electric beach buggy. How cool is that?
rsolva 6mo ago
I can recommend the VW e-UP!s from 2013-2016ish. They have very little tech in them but are relatively modern. You can also quite easily tap into the control systems (climate etc) to remote control it with your own hardware: https://docs.openvehicles.com/en/latest/components/vehicle_vweup/docs/index.html https://docs.openvehicles.com/en/latest/components/vehicle_v... They are also super fun to drive and, although they have small batteries, the can charge at 40-50kWh, which translates to 10 minutes to ~85% full. We have used a eUP 2013 model to travel across europe (~900km) in two days, many times! One charge last between one and two hours, depending on speed and weather. We usually cruse at about 90km/h, and the car is basically sipping electrons! The newer model have double the range, but I have not owned or testet them, but might be a decent compromise for longer travels.

tzm 6mo ago

Does it improve things or break things?

Streamables 6mo ago

On a single device or within a surrounding area like a walking EMP zone? now thatd be useful.

underover13 6mo ago
I'm pretty sure they mean across the whole nation. The entire internet is disabled.

m463 6mo ago

tesla let you do this too - they would pull the e-sim. They mentioned that wifi would automatically connect to tesla hotspots at the dealer.

appz3 6mo ago

[flagged]

spl757 6mo ago

in response to most of this thread, the answer is summed up in one word. greed

ghssds 6mo ago

alternatively, how old should the car be so i know there is no data being collected?

exabrial 6mo ago

I still don't understand why this isn't treated as a national security threat. If X bad guy wanted to do devastating damage to the US Economy during a wartime situation, even a day "burb" in transportation would swing the tide of a war, let alone permanently disabling thousands of workers from getting to their jobs. Cell connected vehicles are unnecessary and a danger for so many reasons.

a96 6mo ago
Because it's your nation and its businesses that want this.

sciencesama 6mo ago

can this be done on a tesla ?

codedokode 6mo ago

Internet-connected cars are a national security issue when manufacturers are from one country (A) and consumer is in another country (B). For example, the President of country A might wake up in a bad mood and order to disable all A-manufactured cars in B until they reconsider the trade deal. Or, he might order to collect geolocation, plugged for charging smartphone data, audio and video recordings from cars in B belonging to military personnel. Smart cars can record street views, location of WiFi access points and GSM towers, and this data is useful for guiding missiles and drones when GPS is being jammed. And how can we deal with this? Inspections on import? Country-level DPI to block data exfiltration? But DPI is not perfect because there are obfuscation and VPNs. And today we have Starlinks as well, which are difficult to block. Except from banning foreign smart cars altogether, there seems to be no simple solution. Or maybe oblige the manufacturer to use local computer boards and software when importing cars?

haritha-j 6mo ago
The president of a country disable another country's cars to push a trade deal because he was in a bad mood? What an utterly ludicrous and silly notion. Is what I would've said two years ago. I wish it was two years ago.
duskdozer 6mo ago
Less internet connection in cars?
msh 6mo ago
Do it like china does with iphones. Apple sells them but icloud in china is controlled fully by a chinese company owned and operated by chinese citizens. While this does not fully prevent backdoors and hacking it does raise the bar quite a lot.
- thesuitonym 6mo ago
  Or, here's a crazy idea: Maybe cars don't need to connect to the internet at all.

brokenmachine 6mo ago

Interesting how the question is about disabling collection, but the answer is about connectivity.

mudkipdev 6mo ago
Mods renamed it

b3lvedere 6mo ago

"Can I disable all data collection from my vehicle? Vehicle connectivity is a core feature .. blah blah blah" I absolutely hate these kind of answers. I understand why the answer is written that way, but i truly hate it to the core. They are marketing speak/CYA answers. Why i hate it? Because i do not mind the communication, but i absolotely do mind the collecting and harvesting. I don't want to lose connectivity. I want to lose all the effing data harvesting. I don't mind leaving data and using navigation, but i do not want the data effing harvested. I want to have phone calls, but i do not want my calls logged for a long time so that these logs can be abused in any form by someone or something. ALL of these features do NOT need long time logging for it to function. This pay-with-your-privacy system has to stop.

fainpul 6mo ago

The user wants to "disable data collection". The manufacturer offers only a kill switch for all connectivity, with all the unwanted effects (which they helpfully list). I've seen this pattern before. It's a lame cop-out. "Of course you can do that, but you'll have to accept all these negative consequences. There's nothing we can do about it. You brought this onto yourself."

b3lvedere 6mo ago
Exactly. It's extremely annoying.
throwaway132448 6mo ago
Google loves this pattern. It's what pushed me away from them.
thomas_viaelo 6mo ago
[flagged]
bobsmooth 6mo ago
The Onion covered this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMChO0qNbkY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMChO0qNbkY

dackdel 6mo ago

buy a car manufactured before 2004 :P

beAbU 6mo ago

My 2026 Kia EV comes with an "offline mode" in the settings, which disables all the connected features in the car, including OTA updates. I wonder if this sufficiently insulates me from their spying?

atoav 6mo ago

Aside from this you may also consider that newer cars are sending out unencrypted but digitally signed data via ITS (in Europe) or DSRC/C-V2X (USA) that potentially anybody with an antenna can collect. That includes positional data, speed, whether you're pressing the gas pedal or braking etc. Since it is meant as a Car-to-Car solution, e.g. to warn other cars when there is an accident the reach isn't great, but some of the signals (e.g. warning of a traffic jam) may be propagated by other cars. See this German talk on the European system: https://media.ccc.de/v/glt26-688-c-its-mit-einem-esp32-ampeln-straenbahnen-und-autos-tracken/audio https://media.ccc.de/v/glt26-688-c-its-mit-einem-esp32-ampel... I think they have a English translation or dub somewhere

nloomans 6mo ago

https://archive.is/4HBye https://archive.is/4HBye Website redirects to the regional homepage instead of showing the actual article. I don't get why this is still a thing.

egberts1 6mo ago

Easiest way to protect against data collection is replace the antenna with a 50Ω resistor cap.

retired 6mo ago

First thing I do on rental cars is pull out any devices plugged into the OBD port and follow the wiring for a bit to see if the port is duplicated. I'll plug it back in when they ask for it, that way I know it is not a bad actor at play. Second thing is to do a factory reset on the infotainment and press "deny" on anything. Third thing is to use a USB sanitizer so plugging in the USB-port doesn't sync any of my data with the car or initiate a pairing. Final thing is to check tire pressure, unrelated to above but 9 out of 10 times the tire pressure on rental cars is incorrect. I have a little pen tester in my travel kit.

ge96 6mo ago

I'm just glad I'm into older sports cars so I don't have to worry about this crap

dmitrygr 6mo ago

> Can I disable all data collection from my vehicle? replace cell antenna with a 50ohm resistor. you can buy the proper connector on mouser.com

p_ing 6mo ago

I pulled the TPUs from my Hondas. There is no software option to disable, but also no features I miss out on (ie Honda app or any of the useless to me subscriptions). Happy I did, along with the ANC/fake engine noise modules. My phone still tracks me :-)

up2isomorphism 6mo ago

I have stopped buying any new vehicles that collect “data” and has an internet connections for a long time. But it seems plenty of people does not care about it.

Alifatisk 6mo ago

> it will also limit or disable certain functionality in the vehicle (e.g., navigation, active lane centering, and over-the-air updates, which provide new features, better performance, safety enhancements, and bug fixes). I fear this trend in the automotive industry will only complicate things further and introduce more unnecessary risk in our daily life. Is it too much to ask for a dumb car which is durable and takes me from point A to point B? I do not want my future car to be dependent on the manufacturers CI/CD pipeline.

biosboiii 6mo ago

fyi: modern vehicles are required to have a e(mergency)Call function (UNECE UN-R 144), therefore all of these cars have a modem with a unique IMEI (that is typically bound to a VIN), therefore you can track the movements of every car pretty precisely. Disabling the eCall is not possible, and doing so (in the EU) would void your car's registration.