Mercedes caught spying on their drivers

cheesyboy · 21 Aug 2019 at 14:42

Interesting possibility. Your wife requests the data under data protection laws, and sees where you've actually been when you're apparently working late.

Kind of surprised at all the "well it's their car" comments. I guess we'll all accept tyranny if it's in the ******* Ts and Cs :rolleyes:

Yaayuh! · 21 Aug 2019 at 14:54

cheesyboy said:
Interesting possibility. Your wife requests the data under data protection laws, and sees where you've actually been when you're apparently working late.

That'd only work if for some reason her husband was using her car for commuting and she'd missed several payments on the car to the point bailiffs are going to repossess it. At which point her husband banging Susan from the office isn't going to be the full extent of her life problems anyway.

AHarvey · 21 Aug 2019 at 14:54

cheesyboy said:
Interesting possibility. Your wife requests the data under data protection laws, and sees where you've actually been when you're apparently working late.

Kind of surprised at all the "well it's their car" comments. I guess we'll all accept tyranny if it's in the ******* Ts and Cs

Go and make yourself another tin foil hat

Although, the fact you're worried about your wife tracking your affair says it all

For tracking property that belongs to them it is fine, would you not do the same if you were selling someone a £30K+ car trusting them to pay if off over X years?

For cars sold outright or once finance is complete then they should be removed as it no longer belongs to them.

Christ, I wish I could put trackers in tools with the amount that have been 'borrowed' from me over the years to then go missing.

ttaskmaster · 21 Aug 2019 at 14:58

Lashout_UK · 21 Aug 2019 at 14:59

I love the fact that people gripe about things such as this without seemingly considering (or mentioning) that they willingly walk around all day with a device which is doing much, much more (in terms of harvesting your data and personal details, voice, etc.).

cheesyboy · 21 Aug 2019 at 15:02

Lashout_UK said:
I love the fact that people gripe about things such as this without seemingly considering (or mentioning) that they willingly walk around all day with a device which is doing much, much more (in terms of harvesting your data and personal details, voice, etc.).

You can choose to turn off most of that, and the bits you can't are tied up in how the service is delivered. For the car - there's nothing in it for the consumer, the tracking is all for the car company.

ttaskmaster · 21 Aug 2019 at 15:34

cheesyboy · 21 Aug 2019 at 15:39

ttaskmaster said:
So?
If you still signed up to it, you can't complain about it...

Nonsense, of course you can complain. What if all car companies do this? Where's the choice?

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 21 Aug 2019 at 15:41

cheesyboy said:
You can choose to turn off most of that, and the bits you can't are tied up in how the service is delivered. For the car - there's nothing in it for the consumer, the tracking is all for the car company.

Quite, its in it for them as it belongs to them.
Don't like it, don't buy it.

There are companies in the UK that do second hand cars that also have trackers fitted... this being one, I used to help fund it. https://www.theassetexchange.co.uk/

Yaayuh! · 21 Aug 2019 at 15:44

cheesyboy said:
Nonsense, of course you can complain. What if all car companies do this? Where's the choice?

You don't finance it through them and buy it and own it instead? :confused:

cheesyboy · 21 Aug 2019 at 15:44

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Quite, its in it for them as it belongs to them.

But your data belongs to you. You can sign it away, and defend that as "you don't have to", but if this spreads, then it's not really a choice is it? And the legality of passing your data to bailiffs is pretty dubious.

Yaayuh! · 21 Aug 2019 at 15:51

cheesyboy said:
But your data belongs to you. You can sign it away, and defend that as "you don't have to", but if this spreads, then it's not really a choice is it? And the legality of passing your data to bailiffs is pretty dubious.

Is it your data, though? If the tracker has been triggered, the car is being repossessed.

cheesyboy · 21 Aug 2019 at 15:54

Rossi~ said:
Is it your data, though?

Yes

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 21 Aug 2019 at 15:55

cheesyboy said:
But your data belongs to you. You can sign it away, and defend that as "you don't have to", but if this spreads, then it's not really a choice is it? And the legality of passing your data to bailiffs is pretty dubious.

Its not your data, its just the ability to turn it on if needed. Its not saying they know where you are, but where the car is. Its the cars data if its anyones data.
Plenty of cars have it, its only the usage thats different today.
Its NOT actively tracking where you are going, but you can trigger it eg on a BMW by pressing the emergency button

I use waze in my car, its actively tracking me and everyone else using it, its where the benefit comes from.

ttaskmaster · 21 Aug 2019 at 15:57

Yaayuh! · 21 Aug 2019 at 16:05

cheesyboy said:
Yes

How is it your data if it just location data tied to a vehicle (not a person) that is not yours, that you have now effectively stolen?

cheesyboy · 21 Aug 2019 at 16:07

Rossi~ said:
How is it your data if it's tied to the vehicle only that you have effectively stolen?

Your personal emails are your data too - just because you write them on your work computer doesn't allow your employer to read them.

The car's journeys are your data.

Yaayuh! · 21 Aug 2019 at 16:13

cheesyboy said:
Your personal emails are your data too - just because you write them on your work computer doesn't allow your employer to read them.

It does if you've used your company's mailbox and signed a contract accordingly.

Do you also believe that criminals that steal cars fitted with trackers also have rights to the location data?

[TW]Fox · 21 Aug 2019 at 16:14

cheesyboy said:
Nonsense, of course you can complain. What if all car companies do this? Where's the choice?

Buy the car?

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 21 Aug 2019 at 16:16

cheesyboy said:
Your personal emails are your data too - just because you write them on your work computer doesn't allow your employer to read them.

The car's journeys are your data.

Have you even read about this, even in the Suns overhyped coverage?

They are not actively tracking it at all times. If someone defaults on payment, and refuses to engage in conversation, as a last resort they will turn on the vehicle location.
In the old days the bailifs would just follow you, taking more time and increasing the costs (which they would aim to get back from you)

When I signed my contract I had to accept that anything I did on the companies computers they had the right to access.