Is Toyota spying on us?

I know. I was kidding. It won’t matter if onstar records everything and everything is illegal. We already know they share the data with the big brothers in blue.

 

That’s just what someone would say if they didn’t want people to search for it…. Who do you work for?

 

Just wrap your truck in a faraday cage.

 

That’s silly when they could just use camo face paint.

 

I remember there was a way to disable it but if you had a phone connected via Bluetooth they got it anyway. Since I use Android Auto I'm being watched regardless. What irks me is it's my phone, my data plan and they get to use my data because I agreed to their terms and conditions. If I don't agree I either have no truck or no phone.

 

My wife

 

Yes even the US government (DOD) has concerns over Toyota with google tracking. Samsung phones are on the don't use list the sim card can be easily cloned.

https://www.4runners.com/threads/vehicle-data-transmission.14184/#post-166505

 

Read page 9 of your owner's manual...

 

Yes of course they are along with every other manufacturer.

The part to understand here is what connects the truck to the outside world. Generally its the network gateway or modem. All these manufacturers have apps to let you see info on the truck, milage, fuel, door lock status, remote start ect. How is the phone getting that data? How can you remote start the truck from a cellphone app? How are they doing over the air ecu updates on some of these vehicles?

Two way communication is obviously present on these new vehicles, data is coming in to the truck and also being sent out to the "world" / manufacturers servers.

If you want to keep your info private about the only option I see is to make sure the truck doesn't have the ability to connect to the outside world and send the data out. Of course this means your fancy app wont work anymore. Let the truck record what it wants, just make sure whatever it does record, it doesn't have the ability to tell anyone else.

I can speak from some experience with Ford and the Sync system. The amount of data recorded in the infotainment system is crazy. It logs all trips, location speed direction. It logs events, things like doors opening, ignition on/off, gear shifts and others. It has all your phone records, text messages, contact list... all of it stored in the memory. Oh you talked on the phone with xyz for 45 mins one day while driving, here is the record of a call start and stop time along with number. It has the words that were sent in your texts all saved. Huge amounts of data.

I have seen some "downloads" of these sync systems. Hundreds of pages of data. If this data is stored in the radio it can also be easily sent out on the network to Ford. They are collecting all of this info. It has to much value to not collect it.

In discussions about the Ford Sync systems no surprise law enforcement is very interested in this stuff. Like high level law enforcement. I have heard stories of vehicles know to be associated with high level crime bosses being purchased by agencies because they know the vehicle has the whole phone book and driving history of a criminal enterprise stored in it. Another story an individual was found guilty of a drive by shooting. They had a solid story that they were not involved, however their vehicle clearly showed it started up and drove from their house to the location of the shooting and then right back home right in the time frame of the crime. They were even able to tell this individual sat in a parking lot a block or two away for 15-20mins scoping out the scene before committing the shooting.

They still have to pull the radio out to "download" it but the data is there. Only the manufactures see data sent to them in real time as far as I understand it.

If this scares you find a way to keep the data in the truck, don't let it connect to the outside networks. I know it is going on but I kind of let it slide. I like the cool functions of the Ford Pass app on my 2021 F150, if they want to go through all my data, trip history ect. it is going to be very boring, I have nothing to hide but I always know in the back of my head they could be watching.

 

Oh also I laughed when I realized my 2021 F150 has 4-5 preprogrammed "wake up" words. Words or phrases you can say to interact with the vehicle to change a song or pick a destination without have to push a voice/microphone button.

If the vehicle can conduct a command just from you verbally saying a wake up word, obviously it is listening for this phase anytime the vehicle is on. If it is listening for and recognizes wake up words easy assumption it is listening to everything said inside of the vehicle.

 

It’s all talked about in the owners manual.

 

Obviously they aren't listening or I would have been approached for a record deal by now.

 

Management likes a lot about how China runs their system. Only they have to implement it quietly and gradually in the US because it's citizens are a different animal.
I like how a small% of people are just now figuring out that we're "heading" in that direction.
They've been doing this shit for over 20 yrs now.

 

Everybody has known all along. Nobody cares. "I'm not doing anything wrong" is the mantra.

As a society, we are eager to trade our privacy for the latest electronic gadgetry.

Edit ... we happily trade freedom for perceived safety with the same eagerness.

 

If it's transmitting their is an antenna. Place antenna in faraday cage, no signal. Now what effect this could have due to loss of inbound signal who knows?

 

Y'all ain't got nothing to worry about. Steve tells me there's only like 30 of you interesting enough to bother tracking.

Who is Steve? Steve is the CSIS agent who follows me around the internet tracking my shit. I like to keep him busy and give him a reason to have me on those 6 watch lists.

Hi Steve!

The few of you being tracked really ought to know your agent's name. It's just rude not to send them a Christmas card!

 

Lots of sheep farms up that way, huh?

 

Just helping over the fence

 

The Canadians are behind the whole thing

 

Yep

 

Well they do still pledge loyalty to the crown so you aren’t too far off.

 

I’m going to read mine again. I don’t remember any details about the hardware or where the data resides.

 

Anything connected to the internet anywhere is collecting data on you. Your vehicle, your phone, your friends’ phones, your tv, your Roomba, everything.
It’s all self inflicted, so it’s ultimately asinine to complain about it. Just keep checking yes on the terms and conditions and hope for the best.