I know that my new car is reporting my location frequently to OnStar. That’s above and beyond the fact that my cell phone also frequently reports my exact location to the cell phone company. The EZ-Pass unit in my windshield reports the date and time of every passage through a toll booth to state authorities.
Now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to add an additional comprehensive event data recorder (EDR) to every newly-manufactured automobile.
The proposed EDR will record not only your location but also the speed you are traveling, how often you hit the brakes, and how often you floor the gas pedal. Some insurance companies already are using similar devices to track their customers’ driving habits. The new proposal wants to make such devices mandatory for all automobiles sold in the U.S.
Actually, there are a number of benefits to such devices but privacy isn’t one of those benefits. If enacted, Big Brother will be watching you and me. You can read more in an article from Consumer Reports at http://goo.gl/gKHp62.
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Categories: Offline Privacy & Security