Apps that remotely track and control cars are being weaponized by abusive partners. Car manufacturers have been slow to respond, according to victims and experts.

She stopped responding to him, she said, even though he texted and called her hundreds of times.

Ms. Dowdall, 59, started occasionally seeing a strange new message on the display in her Mercedes, about a location-based service called “mbrace.” The second time it happened, she took a photograph and searched for the name online.

“I realized, oh my God, that’s him tracking me,” Ms. Dowdall said.

  • Makeitstop@lemmy.worldEnglish
    67·
    11 months ago

    This is just going to keep getting worse until we have laws to protect our privacy. Laws that are strong enough to force transparency and accountability on companies that gather data, and to prevent them from holding features hostage if we opt out.

    Unfortunately, the current congress can’t even pass legislation that they mostly agree on. And I doubt more than a handful of them give a shit about our privacy. Maybe some future election will bring in some strong privacy advocates, but I’m not holding my breath. I just don’t see things getting better any time soon.

    • Adalast@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7·
      11 months ago

      I am now of the radical opinion that company CEOs and boards of directors should be criminally liable for the actions of their company. This means conspiracy too. So if someone uses their car tracking to stalk and murder someone, they become criminally liable for the conspiracy charge. Pretty sure we would see a lot of this shit vanish if their freedom was suddenly on the line.

      (yes, I recognize the issues with the idea as presented here, but this is just a cross section of a much more fleahed out concept that closes abuses and loopholes)

      • Yamainwitch@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        11 months ago

        I actually love this idea, I mean CEOs make those mega salaries because of the risks they take, well let’s see how many want that role when there are actual consequences.