cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/49178

Why They Don’t Want You Driving a Chinese Car

I took my first ride in a Chinese car recently. Not in the U.S., of course, since sky-high tariffs have made them almost impossible to import. I was visiting family in the U.K., and we rented a BYD Sealion SUV. And let me tell you: I saw immediately why American car companies are desperate to have these things kept out of this country. It was elegantly designed, incredibly comfortable, and a smooth ride.


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  • Reygle@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I’m in IT and personally I’d genuinely like to see a “grey hat” examination of the internet traffic they send/receive before I’m ready to listen to a car reviewer giving reviews on how nice the seats are or charging is.
    The fact that I work in IT is also why my home is secured with security doors and deadbolts.

    • MissesAutumnRains@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      1 month ago

      It’s worth looking into how much data modern US cars are gathering as well, if you’re concerned with that. Frankly, it seems like you’re just deciding who gets your data at a certain point.

      • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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        1 month ago

        It’s worth looking into how much data modern US cars are gathering as well

        Well known.

        Location & Movement: Real-time GPS coordinates, route history, frequently visited destinations (like home or work), and travel times.

        Driving Behavior: Speed, harsh braking, rapid acceleration, steering angles, and how often you engage safety features like lane-keep assist.

        Vehicle Telematics: Odometer readings, tire pressure, battery/fuel levels, diagnostic trouble codes, and maintenance needs.

        Infotainment & Syncs: Call logs, text messages, contact lists, and connected music or app preferences. Some systems use voice recognition and record conversations.

        Biometrics & Cabin Monitoring: Cabin microphones, seat sensors (which register your weight), and cameras that track eye and head movements for fatigue.

        External Cameras: 360-degree cameras, dashcams, and automated parking sensors that catalog the physical environment around your vehicle.

        https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/how-figure-out-what-your-car-knows-about-you-and-opt-out-sharing-when-you-can

      • Reygle@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        If I’m ever forced to buy a new car you better believe I’m finding the lte module and faraday caging that shit, regardless of what emblem is on the grill.

        • Bytemeister@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Hear me out. Your car, your phone, and these days, the streets themselves practically track you everywhere you go. They are creating a pattern profile for you, and for everyone else. I’m not saying this is a good thing, but the silver lining is that we know about it.

          Wanna be invisible for a day? Throw your phone in the car and have your partner or friend drive around with it. The logs for that day will show you being a happy little drone driving around like normal. Here is the thing… As the surveillance state gets more and more toys to play with, they forget the important basics, the primitive tools, the personal skills, and the willingness to do the legwork that actually matters.

          If it makes you feel better/differently about the effectiveness of surveillance. Some guy kidnapped Nancy Guthrie, got captured on camera, sent a ransom note, and we still don’t know who the fuck he is.

          • boonhet@sopuli.xyz
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            1 month ago

            …But they’ll know it’s your friend driving. The cars have cameras in them. And microphones.

          • Reygle@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            Maybe so. In that case I’m thinking a few gallons of gasoline and a match may handle the situation.

    • hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 month ago

      You can safely assume that everything that goes through the car’s computer is sent to the manufacturer, no difference if it’s Tesla, BYD or BMW

      • boonhet@sopuli.xyz
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        1 month ago

        They all do it, but at the very least, European manufacturers are liable for GDPR violations for cars being used in the EU.

        I was sent a tiktok link by someone recently so I opened it and this is what they have showing on their website:

        Remote-access “transfers of EEA User Data to China”: Update on Irish GDPR decision

        In April 2025, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) found that TikTok had not complied with GDPR requirements in relation to transfers of some “EEA User Data to China by way of remote access”. The DPC ordered TikTok to bring its transfers into compliance within 6 months, failing which they must be suspended. TikTok strongly disagrees with the DPC’s decision and is appealing through the Irish courts. The High Court of Ireland has paused the decision while that happens, allowing the transfers to continue for now.

        They straight up don’t give a fuck, they’ll just continue doing what they’re doing and appeal it through the courts.

        What happens if they do lose? They’ll just close down their European operations and leave a huge sign blaming the GDPR and people will complain until they get special privileges. Because as a Chinese company, they can easily afford to lose a huge market like Europe.

        BYD, Geely, etc can do the same. China’s got enough leverage on us.

      • Reygle@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Not wrong, I’d find the LTE hardware and put a faraday cage around it even if it were BMW, Tesla (yuck, car for dumasses and nazis) or General Motors- but when you KNOW the company is required by law in their country to share data collected with an opposition government, the reasons for caring don’t just increase, they launch to space.

      • Reygle@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        The assumption they will be repairable at all is wishful thinking at this point, but that’s not really what I’m worried about. Every new car has LTE and I don’t trust even American companies with telemetry, let alone a nation state that requires their exporters to share data with their governement.

    • iturnedintoanewt@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Yeah… As much as I’d love to ride an EV, i think i need to stick to an older gas car just to avoid all the tracking.

      • Hanrahan@slrpnk.net
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        1 month ago

        As an Australian im ok with the chinese tracking me, what i don’t want is my government or a 5eyes nation tracking me, my government is the one who wants to do me harm.

      • Reygle@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        I have nothing at all against EVs what-so-ever, but I do have a problem with telemetry/data collection/always-connected-equipment of any kind.

    • BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      That’s sort of why I want them. America loves to customize cars. We’d take them apart and put them back together again six ways from Sunday.

      There’d be YouTube channels dedicated to this and recycling the drivetrains with various levels of creativity. There’d be someone rewinding motors for torque and reflashing anything they could find to see what happens.

      It will be a good time

    • Greyghoster@aussie.zone
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      1 month ago

      No one trusts the Chinese. Do we trust the Germans? Certainly the level of trust in the Americans has fallen based on the Donny the Demented storm trooper state. The Chinese play a long game where the free marketeers play short term profits and it’s obvious that they have produced a black swan.