The biggest problem I have with late model cars is that they don’t seem to actually be your car. They’re outfitted with GPS tracking and data collection, Why? Well, to track your movements, your driving habits, and build a profile of you from this data. This data is collected by the manufacturer, and sent who knows where. Insurance companies make use of this data to determine how to set your rate. Most people have no idea that this is happening, but it was just reported in the New York Post. One driver claims he was denied auto insurance by multiple companies based on his driving history which had been logged, without his knowledge, by GM. Another saw his premiums skyrocket after he was determined to be an “aggressive driver”, despite no accidents or speeding tickets.
A digital prison is being built around us without our knowledge. We’re being incentivized to accept it, but how much of our behavior will be controlled in this way in a decade? Driving is the ultimate freedom, one that we take for granted. We can’t let this freedom die in the dark, alone and undefended. Other than the rules of the road, driving is a purely private experience. I should be able to drive any way I please within the relative boundaries of the law. When I’m behind the wheel, I control the vehicle. Not the manufacturer, or some controlling bureaucrat with a god complex, ensconced within the Transportation Administration
