this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2023

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184

The Feds' Vehicle 'Kill Switch' Mandate Is a Gross (and Dangerous) Violation of Privacy (fee.org)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

38 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Archived version: https://archive.ph/nD6nJ
Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20231124165122/https://fee.org/articles/the-feds-vehicle-kill-switch-mandate-is-a-gross-and-dangerous-violation-of-privacy/

all 40 comments

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[–] [email protected] 49 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Even ignoring the privacy problems, and the many technical problems this would run into with false positives and faulty systems, this approach to the problem of drunk driving is misguided.

The US is one of the worst in the world for drunk driving, both in DUI rates, and how much blood alcohol is considered to be a DUI. Other countries are doing things way better than us, and a kill switch isnt their solution. We have shit like parking minimums for bars, and an abyssmal public transit infrastructure. Drunk driving is designed into our infrastructure. Even trying to address DUI convictions after the fact is discouraged here, because taking away someones ability to drive means taking away their functioning in American society.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 11 months ago (1 children)

America is a failed state that piles cops on top of cops to try and patch it's self inflicted systemic dysfunctions rather than try to solve them

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

America is a failed state

Yup, right there next to Somalia

[–] [email protected] 35 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The “law enforcement wouldn’t have access” part some groups focused on is a bit of a red herring. One, I don’t really believe it. But two, law enforcement would be sure to notice someone whose car wouldn’t drive over 15 mph all of a sudden or was disabled on the side of a road.

I could also picture this leading to so many different unsafe situations. Leaving a bad area of town at night after a show? Great, the system kicks in and disables your car leaving you stranded and at risk of robbery or kidnapping or assault whether you stay with your car or try to seek another ride. Driving home to a rural area in freezing weather with no cell service? Well, the system thinks you’re impaired so it disabled your car, leaving you at risk of hypothermia, sorry. Stressed because you’re late to a job interview? Sorry, the system determined you are driving in safely and disabled your car, so guess you won’t make it. It’s solidly dystopian.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Rural Canadian here. We get everything mandated in the USA because it's not worth making Canadian models. Then we have to disable it.

This would be the absolute first thing to go on any vehicle purchased. We do DEF/DPF/SCR delete, traction control/stabilitrak delete just to make sure our vehicles are reliable and perform as expected in Arctic conditions.

Note that EGR delete isn't on the list as EGR actually improves cruise efficiency while cutting emissions... And PCV delete is idiotic, I've added PCV to old vehicles that didn't have it. It's not like we just hate the environment or something.

The last thing we want is a system that could intentionally make the truck eat shit while we're smashing snowdrifts with the bumper and trying to get home in a storm. It could literally kill us

[–] [email protected] 33 points 11 months ago (3 children)

we already cant trust authority with things like guns, why the fuck should we let them do this?

this would be just another tool to be abused by the cowards that join these groups and call themselves 'officers'.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It’s also another potential attack vector for hackers to use. Imagine hackers getting control of the system (or simply finding whatever standardized backdoor the companies have been forced to include) and being able to shut down an entire city over a weekend.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 11 months ago

Even just being able to target a mark for robbery or assassination.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

We can't trust authorities with guns? You mean like in the sense that they do absolutely nothing about the rampancy of them in America?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (2 children)

They mean because the authorities here like to shoot people when they very much don't need to.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

Oh, my bad, totally misunderstood and totally agree.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Some of those that work forces,

Are the same that burn crosses.

[+] [email protected] -20 points 11 months ago (5 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

hahah what the actual fuck are you talkin about. you certainly arent referring to me. at no point did i disregard regulation or call for it.

you must be OLD and Uneducated because you cant seem to slow your Roll.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

They're totally right. I drive slowly on surface streets and am insanely careful around kids, pets and motorcyclists. Wanting to have control of my vehicle has nothing to do with having a good time. It has to do with government invasion of my life.

Also, I'm almost to mid life crisis age.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

Lol, you're unbelievable naive if you think this wouldn't be abused by the powers that be or subverted by hackers.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

What in the everliving fuck did I just read

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Calls people uneducated, doesn't believe in unionization...

Make it make sense

[–] [email protected] 22 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

It seems like this bill assumes 1 driver per car and 1 car per driver. There are plenty of folks who share a car, and plenty of folks who own more than one. Also would the sensor know if you are driving on an icy road or with low visibility due to dense fog? Would it suddenly shut you car off in the middle of winter and leave you to freeze to death?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Guess I better learn how to build a fucking car from scratch.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago

You wouldn't download a car

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

If you wish to build a car from scratch, you must first invent the universe

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Then they’d make that illegal

[–] [email protected] 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Of course something that the American people never would support was hidden in a vitally necessary spending package

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

Are you new to politics? This crap has gone on for decades.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago

Guess I’m gonna keep driving my 2007 Tundra for at least 20 more years

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

This stock photo is hilariously bad. The fact that’s it’s sorta, kinda related just makes it worse, not better.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

What's wrong with it?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

It doesn’t go with the article. It looks like someone having ordinary car trouble and calling a tow truck or something.

By itself, the photo is, technically, fine (it’s in focus, the lighting is decent, etc)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Global news?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

Interesting. I notice none of this seems to be happening to motorcycles?

[+] [email protected] -4 points 11 months ago (2 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Ban freedom. Ban independence. Put all faith in your increasingly hostile government.

You think us uncaring. We think you a fool.

The legislation then goes on to define the technology as a computer system that can “passively monitor the performance of a driver of a motor vehicle” and can “prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if an impairment is detected” (emphasis added).

Yup, this is fine.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

So from another comment:

I could also picture this leading to so many different unsafe situations. Leaving a bad area of town at night after a show? Great, the system kicks in and disables your car leaving you stranded and at risk of robbery or kidnapping or assault whether you stay with your car or try to seek another ride. Driving home to a rural area in freezing weather with no cell service? Well, the system thinks you’re impaired so it disabled your car, leaving you at risk of hypothermia, sorry. Stressed because you’re late to a job interview? Sorry, the system determined you are driving in safely and disabled your car, so guess you won’t make it. It’s solidly dystopian. !squiblet

As anyone who has ever had to have an interlock in their car can tell you, the Police give 0 fucks if the interlock messes up on its own giving an "abnormality" then they're dragging you to court and/or jail while they figure it out.

Any system that can be used to monitor citizens will be, ex. the NSA and the revelations that caused an American hero to have to hide in a literal dictatorial country. You can't trust the government or law enforcement with any information. PERIOD.

[+] [email protected] -22 points 11 months ago (4 children)

It sounds like made up garbage to me, another weak attempt to smear Biden and his presidency by lame brains with no culture or education of their own. But even so, if there is such a thing as a vehicle kill switch, I can think of several people near for whom I'd love to see it implemented.

Just last week three kids were turned to bloody smears on the road by a teenage girl going 125 in our 25 mph zone neighborhood (a school zone). A week before, two kids were killed by another speeding teenage driver. Last year, we had 34 kids killed by people speeding in our neighborhood, and three left as quadriplegics.

I'm sure most people think they aren't such monsters behind the wheel, the truth is not in whatpeople say they do but in what they actually do behind the wheel. To me, a vehicle kill switch OUGHT to be implemented along with a host of other anti-speeding anti-reckless driving measures. I've seen too much what happens when people dangerously violate the lives of others and their rights to exist.

A little violation of personal privacy would go along way to helping stop these monsters on our roads.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 11 months ago

While your points are valid, it ignores the issue it would create. Once a feature exists, everyone has access to it.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

Killswitch or not, the roads in your neighborhood should be redesigned. It should not be posdible to go 125 in a 25.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

What about some decent driver's education and not letting kids drive cars? Just like the rest of the civilized world handles it?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Yeah but, I live in Utah. Driver's ed is mandatory but kids ignore all the advice they are given. And if you come here and expect to see civility - you're f#cking out of luck. You've never seen reckless drivers like we have here, you can't even begin to imagine how bad it really is.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Flex your control over my life and find out what kind of monster I am.