It'll let anybody within Bluetooth range do things you'd rather they didn't. A Device Hidden in Cars Across the US Leaves Them Vulnerable to Hacking and Paralysis. Patch It Now | WIRED Ok, the article says to have the thing's firmware updated, not take it out, but I think my preference would be to take it right out, unless something about the installation made that really impractical.
I agree....we are spied on too much as it is! (Did y'all know grocery stores have monitoring systems that track our movement within the stores so they'll move things around based on high-traffic areas? I hate when they rearrange my local Walmart...just when you learn where everything is they have to go do that....grinds my gears!!!)
Our local Walmart recently did a revamp of what's where, and subsequently you see a lot of mystified shoppers and harried staff (associates??). Also, some suit must have decided pilfering at the self-check-out needed to be curtailed, reduced that area's footprint, and turfed out the generous bagging tables, so with a buggy full you're really at your limit, stacking bags here and there, bumping into your neighbors. They also posted a staff member at the line up for the remaining self-check-outs, telling folks there's plenty of full-service stations available. I snapped at her one time, later apologized. Young South Asian girl, just doing what the bosses say, doesn't deserve flack.
Watched a Vox exposé on this -- pretty scary, but mostly Cali dealers. That's a lot of cars, tho -- and if you're into the secondary market, will be just as vulnerable until that crap's ripped out. Not that you're not already vulnerable... but at least when done, little script kiddies won't be able to joyride a hundred miles whilst you sleep, or kill your ignition @70 mph on the freeway, as a 'teen f***ing takeover'
meh. More panic porn. This must be a coastal thing since I've managed to make all these laps around the nearest star while blissfully unaware of their existence. My newest GMC doesn't have On* and I did a bit of a deep dive into the TCICM to see if I could remove the Borg-like implants without causing a CEL or arousing the suspicions of the NSA. I didn't see any non-OEM stuff in there - but this absence of evidence is not evidence of an absence. I usually carry not ONE but TWO cell phones with me - so I guess my 'privacy' give-a-dam isn't holding back very much water these days.
Well, these are not things put there by the manufacturer ... more like things added to the car by certain car dealers (of the kind the more prosperous among us may never have to do business with) to simplify tracking and repossession. So the article isn't just about privacy concerns, but the more concrete concerns about any Joe Hacker in Bluetooth range walking up to your car and opening it if it's locked, or stopping it if it's moving.