Am I being stupid?

[Cmar]

My response was sarcastic. Just so you know. I dont trust the man either, and I work for the man. But to be honest, any connected vehicle or phone can be tracked thanks to 9/11 and the patriot act. No matter what if the government wants to find you they will. It all depends on how much they want to and the resources they are willing to commit.

Unless you live in the woods with zero electronics there is no escaping it.

Or decide to join the Amish.

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[TJC]

That code is a red herring. What has really happened is that the secondary backup module connection protocol has been activated.

Funny, and nice try... but not a chance. the cellular modem is completely out of the system at all levels, data, power and antenna(s).... and Ford is too cheap to put a second one in the truck!

Mazda however, is far more sophisticated in their implementation. They integrated their telematics system much more deeply into the electronics architecture... For instance, on my CX-5 their are 3 antenna going into the telematic (Cellular nodem) module. Navigation (GPS) shares an antenna with the module, as does some incoming weather warning system. I've already pulled one antenna, and a DTC appeared. Nav and the warning system still function, but the cellular modem may still be able to send/receive a signal out through the other 2 antenna. Still researching this.

These types of items should be options.

 

[Cmar]

Funny, and nice try... but not a chance. the cellular modem is completely out of the system at all levels, data, power and antenna(s).... and Ford is too cheap to put a second one in the truck!

Mazda however, is far more sophisticated in their implementation. They integrated their telematics system much more deeply into the electronics architecture... For instance, on my CX-5 their are 3 antenna going into the telematic (Cellular nodem) module. Navigation (GPS) shares an antenna with the module, as does some incoming weather warning system. I've already pulled one antenna, and a DTC appeared. Nav and the warning system still function, but the cellular modem may still be able to send/receive a signal out through the other 2 antenna. Still researching this.

These types of items should be options.

Agreed, given it costs money to put systems like this in, you do have to wonder what the incentive was, and where it came from.

 

[GitRDone]

You talking about homemade m80 plus things ?… what about those

You talking about homemade m80 plus things ?…

Yes M80 was only the detonator but we did other nefarious things with it. One such example involved beeswax and bb' s and would turn a standard mailbox into swiss cheese. Good times.

 

[underwhelmed]

Or decide to join the Amish.

The longer I live the more I believe the Amish got it right. Too much tech is changing our humanity. Not for the better.

 

[WOADKIL]

Everything we do is monitored anyway… If you use a smartphone or computer, THEY can already see everything you’re doing. I doubt the Ford app is going to expose your deepest and darkest secrets to the spying eye of the government lol

On a serious note, I did find a dealership installed tracker on the wife’s truck when we bought it used. Bet your ass I pulled that thing out and threw it in the fire pit… I heard that CA law requires all vehicles sold to have some sort of security/location tracker on it, in case the vehicle is stolen. I don’t think that’s true but a lot of dealerships are hardwiring them into the vehicles anyway. My truck came with LoJack installed from the factory. I replaced hers with an aftermarket one that only her and I have access to. Supposedly anyway…

Regardless of whether or not you have the Ford app installed, guarantee someone somewhere has the ability to track your vehicle if they really want to. Most newer vehicles have that technology incorporated into the electronics anyway, even if you’re not aware of it. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. If you’re really doing something that sketchy, you have bigger things to worry about! ?

Monitors more than your words:


Nissan, Kia can collect data on drivers’ ‘sexual activity’ and ‘sex lives’: privacy watchdog

ny post linky

 

[JohnnyO]

Stupid? No.
Paranoid? Just a little.

"When they really are out to get you, paranoia is just good thinking." -- Dr. Johnny Fever, WKRP

 

[Colo_Ranger]

as a pro-privacy/anti-surveillance state person; give it up. Did you leave your house? You've been caught on cameras. Use a debit/credit card? Your habits are being tracked. Entered a store? Your habits have been tracked and you've been caught on camera. Unless you disappear into the woods and never come out, you're trackable and a resource to sell information about.

 

[Cmar]

as a pro-privacy/anti-surveillance state person; give it up. Did you leave your house? You've been caught on cameras. Use a debit/credit card? Your habits are being tracked. Entered a store? Your habits have been tracked and you've been caught on camera. Unless you disappear into the woods and never come out, you're trackable and a resource to sell information about.

All true but you can take some reasonable steps to minimise the damage. I know some people who feel compelled to freely post every detail of their private life on social media, these are the same people who would complain and rant about "big brother" if asked to put the same details in a government form!

 

[OGMix376]

as a pro-privacy/anti-surveillance state person; give it up. Did you leave your house? You've been caught on cameras. Use a debit/credit card? Your habits are being tracked. Entered a store? Your habits have been tracked and you've been caught on camera. Unless you disappear into the woods and never come out, you're trackable and a resource to sell information about.

Which based on your information they’ve already collected… they can probably come
Close to where you’re headed if you do decide to go “off-grid” ? or atleast narrow it down to a few spots.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

Which based on your information they’ve already collected… they can probably come
Close to where you’re headed if you do decide to go “off-grid” ? or atleast narrow it down to a few spots.

You’d have to go off grid, spend lots of time covering your tracks, then never resurface.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

All true but you can take some reasonable steps to minimise the damage. I know some people who feel compelled to freely post every detail of their private life on social media, these are the same people who would complain and rant about "big brother" if asked to put the same details in a government form!

I agree. But also, without your telemetry data, they still have millions of data points. I’m just saying, everything is futile.

 

[JohnnyO]

as a pro-privacy/anti-surveillance state person; give it up. Did you leave your house? You've been caught on cameras. Use a debit/credit card? Your habits are being tracked. Entered a store? Your habits have been tracked and you've been caught on camera. Unless you disappear into the woods and never come out, you're trackable and a resource to sell information about.

 

[JohnnyO]

All true but you can take some reasonable steps to minimise the damage. I know some people who feel compelled to freely post every detail of their private life on social media, these are the same people who would complain and rant about "big brother" if asked to put the same details in a government form!

My son's first job at the University of Pittsburgh was as a researcher, researching people. He learned that he could find out so much about everyone online that he closed his Facebook account and has only a private account for his job purposes.

I figure there's so much about me out there already that I don't worry about it, or care.

 

[Cmar]

Yes definitely much harder to disappear than it was 30 years ago.

Kind of a balancing act, big cities give more people to disappear into, at risk of better surveillance, and more chance of being randomly spotted.
Small towns less surveillance, less of a chance meeting with someone you might know, but small town people are often more noticing / suspicious of strangers.

French foreign legion, or some nutbag off grid religious sect sound like good bets.

Problem is former can get you killed, and the latter by definition always seem to eventually exceed their scope, and end up getting raided by authorities.

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