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Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by GJim on Friday May 15, 2026 @05:16AM (#48146349)
> if you finance it you are leasing from a company that has definetly accepted all the terms and conditions to capture and sell all the telemetry to various parties

No it isn't. Stop spreading FUD.

It is illegal in the UK/EU to make provision of a service dependent on allowing your personal data to be sold to third parties. This is BASIC data protection law here. You should be embarrassed for not understanding this.

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-re...

> modern volvo/audi/whatever, they are making it so difficult to say no every single time the screen is powered on

More FUD.

The nagware is for "safety" features such as lane assist which must turn on every time by default (yes, this is a PITA). This has nothing whatsoever to do with data privacy requests.

Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by monegator on Friday May 15, 2026 @06:48AM (#48147010)
I'm in europe and I work with cars, pal.

nagware is absolutely not for safety features. Deny the terms and conditions and every time you start the car you have at least three screens you have to scroll and click buttons. It is a very recent feature, have seen it on models from january onwards.

BTW: You also want to deny that because if you agree you also agree to update the system at their will (many cases on the press of them fucking it up, bricking cars requiring ECU replacement. A couple of manufactures i won't mention fucked that up as badly as using two different ECU makes for the same car model, and sending the wrong binary and the bootloader happily accepting it. All without user approving the update beforehand. All happening in the background. Car stops at the sign, ECU reboots and dies.)

You also have constant nagware when you disable the tracking features in software.

Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by GJim on Friday May 15, 2026 @07:06AM (#48147119)
A class action lawsuit in the making! Pal.
Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by monegator on Friday May 15, 2026 @08:05AM (#48147569)
I seriously wish it happened.
Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by sailfast on Friday May 15, 2026 @07:26AM (#48147260)
Sure, and Volkswagen’s diesel cars are totally clean and pass emissions tests as written.

Your trust in the law (EU law! Haha) to do the enforcing itself is nice, but history and lived experience tell me that these laws are going to be skirted if there’s money in it.

Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by GJim on Friday May 15, 2026 @07:36AM (#48147332)
Sorry, I missed the bit where the company was fined, prosecuted, suffered a consumer backlash and subsequently brought their behaviour into check.

Honestly, the number of people on here spreading FUD and defending the 'right' for the adtech industry to invade their private lives and treat them like shit is unreal. One could almost think their salaries are dependent on it!

Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by embedding-shape on Friday May 15, 2026 @10:20AM (#48148972)
Happens every time EU/Europe is mentioned, and most of it is sadly based around misconceptions and misunderstandings.

It's a shame, because in general HN tends to be well informed, but something about EU/Europe seems to make most commentators switch to "knee-jerk reactions" reply mode, rather than the usual thoughtful discussions.

Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by sailfast on Friday May 22, 2026 @10:27AM (#48236343)
I’m assuming you are European? Do you get the impression that the EU parliament is a body that is respected across Europe as competent and able to enforce laws reliably and properly? It can’t even keep the bloc together.

I’m not skeptical of Europe - but I’ve studied governments long enough to know that it’s hard to enforce these things at any sort of reasonable cost / level. You need to be defensive in your thinking, and the FUD here is completely reasonable.

Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by monegator on Saturday May 16, 2026 @09:51AM (#48160277)
.
Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by sailfast on Friday May 22, 2026 @10:25AM (#48236308)
Where are the fines for the tech companies breaking the law? I’ll look on my end as well, but if they’re not being fined more than they’re making by breaking the law your data is still going to leave your vehicle.
Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by embedding-shape on Friday May 15, 2026 @10:19AM (#48148954)
Of course, if you're under the misunderstanding that there is such a thing as "EU law", and you somehow think that "EU" is the one who's supposed to enforce EU member states laws, I understand it all looks funny. But once you sit down and learn how it actually works, I'm sure it'll make more sense even to you.
Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by jona-f on Friday May 15, 2026 @06:36AM (#48146921)
> It is illegal in the UK/EU to make provision of a service dependent on allowing your personal data to be sold to third parties.

Nobody seems to care and this isn't enforced at all.

It is very hard to live in Germany without having a google account. Many services are only offered via phone-app that is only available through play-store. I'd have to use apks from questionable, untrusted third-party websites.

Good luck finding an employer that doesn't require you to have a microsoft account.

The EU is not the privacy paradise some make it seem to be. It's a corrupt, bureaucratic, exploitive nightmare with some splashes of democracy here and there.

Von der Leyen is the perfectly ridiculous representative, she left nothing but corruption, collusion and incompetence in her wake.

Re:Removing the modem and GPS from my 2024 RAV4 hybrid by GJim on Friday May 15, 2026 @07:11AM (#48147154)
> It is very hard to live in Germany without having a google account

Which in the EU/UK, is subject to data protection law; including compulsory opt-in for sharing personal data!

Granted, the scummy adtech industry push the law to the limit ("legitimate use"), meaning we need better regulation, not less.

> The EU is not the privacy paradise some make it seem to be

Nobody said anything about paradise, though considering the unrestrained nature of adtech in the USA, I certainly know under which laws I'd rather my (and others) personal data is kept.