cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/technology/p/1247241/all-cars-sold-in-the-eu-now-require-a-camera-aimed-at-your-face-its-still-not-clear-wher
cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1247209/all-cars-sold-in-the-eu-now-require-a-camera-aimed-at-your-face-its-still-not-clear-wher
Starting July 7, 2026, every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera aimed at your face. Glance at your phone, your kids in the back seat, or the radio for too long, and the car will flash a warning light and sound an alert.
Automakers have known this was coming for years. What they, and EU regulators, have never spelled out is what happens to that footage after the alert goes off.
While the intention behind the new system is difficult to dispute, its implementation has raised several concerns. Early real-world testing suggests the distraction warnings can be overly sensitive and potentially distracting.
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Design rules only apply at the time of sale. After that, the car only needs to meet roadworthy requirements.
You should technically be able to gut the ECU and install a motec or haltech unit intended for a racecar. Start it with an ignition barrel like it’s 1999.
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That’s a massive project as the ECU is likely quite custom to the vehicle and it’s electronics, while the engine likely relies on those electronics. It’s an expensive specialist job that would take iterations to complete reliably. As I suggested in another comment, perhaps an initiative for a large privacy advocacy group.
The ECU wiring and mapping is a huge chunk of the work when fitting a turbo. The R&D overhead is large, which is why kits exist for common cars.
I wonder if anyone has replaced the ECU in a modern car. All the kits are for way older cars.
Better then just replacing the ECU, make it open source
Ooh a company in Ballarat. That’s quite local for me. They have no stock though :(
A little piece of black electrical tape does wonders for these systems.
Depends on how the system is enabled. It can be enabled for theft control, so blocking the camera will not allow starting.
Little peice of paper with my face printed on it taped in front of the camera with the most focused facial expression I can summon
With half the population priced out of new cars, possibly permanently, this will be fun to watch unfold
EFF or some other privacy org should set up a shop that specializes in removing this cruft from new vehicles, to bait a legal fight with the government or car industry.
Just stick tape over the camera?
The camera is just the latest thing, there’s a lot more than just that.
So what else is there? I don’t own a car, so I’m a bit out of the loop on this.
Cars these days are run almost entirely by an onboard computer called the ECU, and most components of the car are operated by sub-electronics connected to that ECU. The ECU and sub-components are usually custom to the make and model, any sub-component not functioning as expected will often trigger the ECU to not allow the car to start. Modern cars also record all driver actions and engine data to a ‘black box’ that can be used against the driver by insurance. They also have cell network transceivers that phone home arbitrary data to the manufacturer. Everything is integrated intentionally in such a way that modifying anything has the potential to break everything.
Thanks for the writeup. I’ll guess I’ll continue to avoid owning a car.
This is the smartest move.
Thanks. I’m just hoping rail becomes better.
I recently accepted a new job, and it will come with a new company car.
If I’m unlucky enough to have a model that was sold after this rule goes into effect, I’m going to be taping up the camera… I don’t want a camera pointed at my face for hours, no matter how well-intentioned.
Fuck cars and all, but this will be a privacy nightmare.
All I know is that this technology is universally loathed in the US.
I don’t expect it to last.
You’re destined for surprise.
All I know is that this technology is universally loathed in the US.
So we’re looking to the USA for good ideas now? US universally loathed seatbelt laws.
How many people die in car crashes in the US every hour?
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<0.5
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1-2
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3-4
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Over 4
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Glance at your phone, your kids in the back seat, or the radio for too long, and the car will flash a warning light and sound an alert.
Or drive with your hand at the top of the wheel for too long blocking the camera’s view of you.
I’ll draw a nose and eyes on my arse cheeks then take a picture of it as I bend over and spread . Tape that picture over the camera.
Enjoy snooping a look at that, nosey cunts.
To me this is what incompetant governance, that tries and fails to even look competent, looks like. Our politicians are blind to real systemic issues underlying them. Someday, the reality check will come to collect. I hope it’s sooner, rather than later.
What they, and EU regulators, have never spelled out is what happens to that footage after the alert goes off.
That’s actually not true.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation that harmonizes national data privacy laws throughout the EU and enhances the protection of all EU residents with respect to their personal data. This harmonization creates new rights for individuals and a set of stronger and clearer rules for businesses. The GDPR applies to all companies handling the personal data of EU residents, including companies established outside the EU if they offer goods or services to EU residents or monitor their behaviour. The GDPR entered into force on May 25, 2018.
Updated:
Updated definition of personal data: Location data and online identifiers are now expressly included in the definition of personal data.
Comprehensive record-keeping obligation: Records are used to demonstrate compliance.
Stricter definition of consent: Specific, informed and unambiguous consent must be freely given by a statement or by clear affirmative action. Individuals can withdraw their consent at any time.
New rights for individuals: Individuals have the right to access, transfer, correct and restrict their personal data and to ask that it be destroyed.
New requirement to appoint a data protection officer: Companies processing personal data on a large scale must appoint a data protection officer.
New data breach notification requirement: Competent supervisory authorities within the EU must generally be informed within 72 hours of a personal data breach.
Diversified toolkit of mechanisms: The toolkit is provided to lawfully transfer data outside the EU; the transfer is subject to specific conditions and safeguards.
Penalties for non-compliance: Companies would be subject to fines of up to 4% of global annual turnover or €20 million, whichever is higher.
Early real-world testing suggests the distraction warnings can be overly sensitive and potentially distracting.
No clue on the data sharing regulations but your linked source does nothing to disprove the claim? The (very oddly written) article does not link out to any research and has no actual data within it other then saying truckers are 11times more likely to crash in a sim if they are tired and distracted
Fixed with a simple strip of electrical tape. Just like we do with webcams on laptops.
Until the car refuses to start because it doesn’t see the driver
