This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
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This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
@funnymonkey I would happily donate serious, ongoing money to a project which strove to do this for as many models of car as possible.
Broader scope, too: actively fighting the inevitable ugly DRM warfare that would follow any non-trivial movement in this direction. -
This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
@funnymonkey I’ll just keep driving my 1998 Jeep. It still had the original cassette player when I bought it …
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This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
@funnymonkey Given this prevents software updates, emergency response and may invalidate warrantees - surely informing users so they can exercise buyer choice is a better option?
Or if you must do it, have a toggle switch so you can still enable it for updates.
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@funnymonkey Given this prevents software updates, emergency response and may invalidate warrantees - surely informing users so they can exercise buyer choice is a better option?
Or if you must do it, have a toggle switch so you can still enable it for updates.
@digdilem @funnymonkey why the fuck do cars need software updates
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This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
@funnymonkey If the data is (maybe) still saved on a local harddrive in the car what happens to the data when you bring the car in for service and the mechanic "connects it to a computer"?
Cheers from Denmark
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This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
@funnymonkey I imagine we're just a year or two from police having remote stop capabilities along with the ability to pull full location and speed logs from any car
ETA - three months away from being three years car-free, and every year I'm happier with the decision.
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@funnymonkey Given this prevents software updates, emergency response and may invalidate warrantees - surely informing users so they can exercise buyer choice is a better option?
Or if you must do it, have a toggle switch so you can still enable it for updates.
@digdilem @funnymonkey
I've been riding my 1986 Honda motorcycle and driving my 2013 Miata and for some reason they've never needed a software update... -
This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
I removed my car's telemetry after I discovered my insurance company and advertisers knew exactly how many miles were on my car and where it was. Only took a minute. Did not affect the navigation GPS, but removed all transmitting.
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I removed my car's telemetry after I discovered my insurance company and advertisers knew exactly how many miles were on my car and where it was. Only took a minute. Did not affect the navigation GPS, but removed all transmitting.
@dianea @funnymonkey which car do you have and how did you go about it? I'd like to do the same but finding internet search difficult to find information.
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This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
@funnymonkey i have also contemplated this possibility
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@dianea @funnymonkey which car do you have and how did you go about it? I'd like to do the same but finding internet search difficult to find information.
Removing my Toyota's two way telemetry was easy, just locate the sharkfin antenna at the rear, open the hatch, reach up to the roof liner trim, rip it open with a gloved hand with about 5 kilograms of force, and yank the four skinny wires from the antenna. Push the liner back up into the plastic locks. Only the satellite radio and the driver call assist or whatever they call it were affected, neither I have ever used. That took care of all transmitter. GPS antenna for navigation is in the middle of the top dash panel and is only receive and won't be broadcasted through the sharkfin antenna anymore.
Total time, about a minute. Zero broadcasts from the car. Except for the tire's TPMS sensor codes, Bluetooth MAC, etc. Those can be eliminated too, depending what your level of stealth desires.
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This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
@funnymonkey - which is why every country needs to hurry up & throw out those DMCA-based laws that make it illegal to modify our own things. Because you better believe removing surveillance tech from cars is illegal by those laws.
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@funnymonkey Given this prevents software updates, emergency response and may invalidate warrantees - surely informing users so they can exercise buyer choice is a better option?
Or if you must do it, have a toggle switch so you can still enable it for updates.
@digdilem @funnymonkey users often don't get a choice because the dealership does the first-run experience that would explain, and even if not, you bought thr car already...
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This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
I’m waiting for instructions on how to strip cars of all the unnecessary stuff. This applies to both software and hardware. Cars that are stripped down to the bare essentials.
Get rid of all those “convenience” features… mirrors, windows, central locking, etc.
Or an alternative manufacturer offering an open-source car in the “Tin Lizzy” style, with various basic modules that are compatible with each other—e.g., batteries, motors, chassis, and bodywork. Easy to hack and modify.
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This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
The cars surveilling Ownera and surrounding area should be completely illegal. According to DGVSO it is. But there is no action from EU Commission, why, the data is presumably being fed in to predictive policing systems.
Many German vehicles actually have two modules, one is often behind the steering wheel the other usually in infotainment.
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@digdilem @funnymonkey why the fuck do cars need software updates
@chingalamigra
There is a dangerous GPS bug mentioned in the article. An OTA will probably fix it.…you'll probably will need to wait another three years for it to drop tho…
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This is an invasion of Privacy. SUE the pants off of all Car Manufactures
@bici @funnymonkey Now I wonder... Say, I borrow a car from my neighbor and drive around a bit. And that car did send telemetry in that time. Maybe he consented, maybe he didn't know, maybe they never asked or he just clicked OK.
Who might be the one on the hook if I were to sue or file a gdpr request for my data? Are car rentals prepared for that scenario? What about a taxi or Uber driver?
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This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
i predict antisurveillanceremovehardware
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This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
@funnymonkey I thought I'd keep my Honda Fit forever, but it was totaled and I wound up with a new CR-V. I'm still trying to find a way to disable the Bluetooth and force Android Auto to run through the cable.
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This post is awesome, and I predict aftermarket shops offering to remove car surveillance to spring up in the next few years.
It shouldn't be necessary, but it is.
https://arkadiyt.com/2026/05/13/removing-the-modem-and-gps-from-my-rav4/
@funnymonkey
Excellent!
Unfortunately my car is on 3-year lease. I'd love to get rid of much of the useless crap on it. The salesguy was so pleased to tell me about all the functionality and gadgets "included At No Extra Cost!!" and shocked when I wanted to refuse them. Sadly, I didn't have a choice.
