I bought a car.
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I’m looking into it. I know a couple things for sure. Data collection is opt-out, the modem is buried deep inside the dashboard (so a huge PITA to get) and the phone microphone runs through the DCM (data communications module). For $70 I can get a bypass harness that you put in place of the DCM. It’s just wires with the right connectors and it keeps a few things connected (like the microphone) that would be disconnected by simply removing the DCM.
What I am uncertain about is how to get to the DCM. For a lot of cars (RAV4, Camry) there are published instructions. I’m not afraid, but I won’t do it without instructions.
Also, the symbol on the screen that indicates DCM is not working is already indicating that. When I spoke to the folks in customer service, they did some stuff on their end. So I’m not sure if it’s transmitting or not. I do know that it can. It probably is. But the icon suggests it is not.
Finally there are lots of extra stupid things. If I disconnect the DCM, the cars GPS stops working. That’s fine. But then my iPhone, when connected to the car, will use the broken signals from the cars broken GPS, and then it won’t know where it is! Also, I have to connect CarPlay by wire, not wireless. If I connect by wireless, the car will use the phone to transmit its telemetry!
What a massive PITA!
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@ausfestivus Thanks. Yeah that’s how I know I can replace the DCM with a wiring harness. But there aren’t instructions (that I have seen) for doing this on a BZ4X.
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I bought a car. I’m trying to get Toyota to stop sending telemetry. I call support. They tell me I can just sign in with the app and make changes.
I point out that installing and using the app binds me to terms and conditions, one of which is binding arbitration. So I will not be installing the app.
No, no. The customer service agent confidently contradicts me. You don’t sign a contract by installing the app. It’s just like making a Facebook or google account.
@paco It's almost like they themselves have not read, understood, and agreed to the terms.
I'm about to have the same issue with Volvo once I move to a state with privacy laws. They want me to pay $200/yr for their phone app, and I don't want it to be a phone app.
Why does everything have to be a fucking phone app?
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@elebertus I’m over on a Toyota forum asking about it. The ONLY replies I get are like “you can’t stop all the ALPR and apps on your phone, so why bother with the car?” And similar “who cares?” sorts of replies. It’s depressing. People actively resisting my effort to stop the data collection.
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I’m looking into it. I know a couple things for sure. Data collection is opt-out, the modem is buried deep inside the dashboard (so a huge PITA to get) and the phone microphone runs through the DCM (data communications module). For $70 I can get a bypass harness that you put in place of the DCM. It’s just wires with the right connectors and it keeps a few things connected (like the microphone) that would be disconnected by simply removing the DCM.
What I am uncertain about is how to get to the DCM. For a lot of cars (RAV4, Camry) there are published instructions. I’m not afraid, but I won’t do it without instructions.
Also, the symbol on the screen that indicates DCM is not working is already indicating that. When I spoke to the folks in customer service, they did some stuff on their end. So I’m not sure if it’s transmitting or not. I do know that it can. It probably is. But the icon suggests it is not.
Finally there are lots of extra stupid things. If I disconnect the DCM, the cars GPS stops working. That’s fine. But then my iPhone, when connected to the car, will use the broken signals from the cars broken GPS, and then it won’t know where it is! Also, I have to connect CarPlay by wire, not wireless. If I connect by wireless, the car will use the phone to transmit its telemetry!
What a massive PITA!
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Seems line an opportunity for some enterprising mechanic. I know I'd pay instead of attempting this myself.
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@paco er, why would you expect some magic solution from some overworked and underpaid first-line support person? Go and cut the cable if your new car (that I assume you chose?) is sending telemetry.
@awfulwoman It’s easier said than done. My car is like the RAV4, but it’s a BZ4X. Look at what it takes to “cut the cable” on a RAV4. I will do this eventually, but I need instructions this detailed.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
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@awfulwoman @paco
the notable factor here is not that they were unable to help, but that they had not even a hint of understanding that the fact that the compulsory agreeing to the terms & conditions nobody reads when they sign up to stuff, does in fact constitute a legal contract.@duckwhistle @awfulwoman @paco However if a representative of the company states that creating said account does not bind you to those clauses (and you can prove it), things might become interesting, from a legal perspective. IANAL.
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I bought a car. I’m trying to get Toyota to stop sending telemetry. I call support. They tell me I can just sign in with the app and make changes.
I point out that installing and using the app binds me to terms and conditions, one of which is binding arbitration. So I will not be installing the app.
No, no. The customer service agent confidently contradicts me. You don’t sign a contract by installing the app. It’s just like making a Facebook or google account.
@paco So happy my car dates from 2014 & doesn't have these things. Does have a CD player tho
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I bought a car. I’m trying to get Toyota to stop sending telemetry. I call support. They tell me I can just sign in with the app and make changes.
I point out that installing and using the app binds me to terms and conditions, one of which is binding arbitration. So I will not be installing the app.
No, no. The customer service agent confidently contradicts me. You don’t sign a contract by installing the app. It’s just like making a Facebook or google account.
@paco worst case scenario, criminals can access your location data in real time and ...
that's assuming the company can't secure the data 100% of the time, or it is possible to intercept it.
Maybe try to find the physical component on the car and smash it?
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@duckwhistle I’m saying that this person is talking to a bunch of poorly paid first-line support people and that these support people don’t give a shit. Please read what I said.
@awfulwoman @duckwhistle It's highly likely that the first-line support people don't even work for Toyota. They work for a support outsourcing company that has a contract with Toyota.
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Also, arbitration clauses in consumer-facing contracts are in my opinion unconscionable https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconscionability because I seriously doubt that most people understand that they're submitting to the jurisdiction of a blatantly-unfair kangaroo court with no right of appeal.
You're one of the very few who do understand what binding arbitration really means.
Unfortunately, courts do not, for the most part, agree with my opinion on this matter.
@argv_minus_one @paco I don't understand how courts can continue to enforce contracts/T&C that aren't read and it's _known_ they aren't read.
And arbitration clauses feel like blatant abuse of the legal system via money.
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I bought a car. I’m trying to get Toyota to stop sending telemetry. I call support. They tell me I can just sign in with the app and make changes.
I point out that installing and using the app binds me to terms and conditions, one of which is binding arbitration. So I will not be installing the app.
No, no. The customer service agent confidently contradicts me. You don’t sign a contract by installing the app. It’s just like making a Facebook or google account.
@paco literally just went through this with Honda. I had to send a letter to Honda legal "I reserve all rights and opt out of arbitration".
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If ordinary people don't even realize they're signing a contract, then the contract is arguably legally invalid. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeting_of_the_minds
@argv_minus_one @paco Isn’t this the reason why you have to confirm you read the terms, before you can start using the app?
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I’m looking into it. I know a couple things for sure. Data collection is opt-out, the modem is buried deep inside the dashboard (so a huge PITA to get) and the phone microphone runs through the DCM (data communications module). For $70 I can get a bypass harness that you put in place of the DCM. It’s just wires with the right connectors and it keeps a few things connected (like the microphone) that would be disconnected by simply removing the DCM.
What I am uncertain about is how to get to the DCM. For a lot of cars (RAV4, Camry) there are published instructions. I’m not afraid, but I won’t do it without instructions.
Also, the symbol on the screen that indicates DCM is not working is already indicating that. When I spoke to the folks in customer service, they did some stuff on their end. So I’m not sure if it’s transmitting or not. I do know that it can. It probably is. But the icon suggests it is not.
Finally there are lots of extra stupid things. If I disconnect the DCM, the cars GPS stops working. That’s fine. But then my iPhone, when connected to the car, will use the broken signals from the cars broken GPS, and then it won’t know where it is! Also, I have to connect CarPlay by wire, not wireless. If I connect by wireless, the car will use the phone to transmit its telemetry!
What a massive PITA!
@paco @zotnobot @isocat > Also, I have to connect CarPlay by wire, not wireless. If I connect by wireless, the car will use the phone to transmit its telemetry!
I’m pretty sure that’s not accurate. The iPod Accessory Protocol sends an audio stream and optionally one or more streams of text data (track name, artist name, etc.), and accepts a control event stream from the accessory.
Wired CarPlay is an extension of iAP which adds one or more video streams and a wider variety of text streams (e.g, next turn information) from the phone and an audio stream from the accessory (i.e, the car), but it doesn’t allow transfer of arbitrary data over the cable.
Wireless CarPlay adds a wireless handshake, but it’s exactly the same protocol as wired CarPlay otherwise. That’s why you can get cheap adapters to add it to cars which didn’t ship with it.
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