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Mercedes Car Tracking - Privacy Invasion

I have the connected drive and there is an option in idrive to switch of data being sent to BMW. Not sure if mb have same?
 
I like to be kept informed on the move of the latest dogging sites, after getting hooked on Bruce's threads, - all I need to satisfy my privacy needs is a balaclava.
 
The Porsche has a 'Privacy Mode' option in the car settings that stops it being tracked and monitored. Trouble is it defaults to on every time you get in the car.

But I like the features - I have it set to send me a message when it leaves/enters the driveway and when it exceeds 100mph (wife's club foot).

It was useful on the BMW too, the M Laptimer App quickly learnt the track layout I was on during a trackday and determined what circuit it was. Even picked up my massive off when I overcooked it.

I have nothing to hide.....

S
 
This is probably wrong of me to think this but why ask on a forum how to disable a factory tracking system? Surely it's there for your convenience if you breakdown or the car is stolen. Unless you are steeling Mercedes to order?

I'm sorry if this has offended anyone but I just can't understand the reasons for it.
 
If you have Live Traffic, or the Mercedes Me services - yes. And possibly if you have e-Call - but that may only happen when you crash and need the emergency services - so you may like that !

You can ask for it to be disabled. Go see your dealer

You will lose Live Traffic, as that has to upload your location to get the local traffic data, and I think you may lose Emergency call (probably) and will lose Mercedes Connect / Me functionality. (if you have those options)

I'm pretty sure your car manual tells you this. I've read it somewhere and I think it was my wife's A class manual

The car is recording lots of data whatever about speed etc in the airbag modules and in the Satnav so the police are quite able to grab info about an accident after the fact if they have the appropriate authority. I;m not sure if the airbag stuff is kept unless there is a crash, there is definitely history in the SatNav ..

Cheers

Richard
 
Makes me wonder where they record the in-car conversations to...?
 
Druk said:
They're in for a few home-truths if they ever get round to listening in. :fail
Click to expand...

As I understand it, the conversations have to go through the Censor to get a rating first and not surprisingly, Cert 18 is the most commonly used rating.

I may have made that up.
 
Druk said:
They're in for a few home-truths if they ever get round to listening in. :fail
Click to expand...

But they have computer programs that listen in for key buzzwords - don't they..?
 
What I find amusing (maybe not the correct word) here is this.

The OP asks a perfectly reasonable question about his car setting/features on a car forum and gets lambasted.

We all have opinions on such matters but the OP did not solicit our opinions he asked a question that actually does have an answer that is there for exactly the question he is asking.

My more amusing thoughts relate to data collection and people's views on what it may or may not be used for. The simple answer is none of us know what it may be used for. We know what the requester tells at the time of the request. By the time the data is transmitted we have no control at all over it's eventual destination, owner, or use.

Take a look around people and seek some answers from people who do this stuff for a living. The end of use of data is rarely, if ever what was intended once it falls outside of our ownership. Social engineering is now one of the largest uses of data and is also one of the largest growing fraudulent industries alongside phishing and straightforward data theft.


We normally look to ourselves and a 2nd possibly a 3rd party when we reassure ourselves about our data. WRONG!! Look to 5th, 6th, 7th - 10th party who has your data is now manipulating it to say what they want and use it how they wish.

Data Gathering is not cheap. Data Collection is also not cheap. So companies limit their outlay by collecting the maximum packet in one bundle. That is then matched with a 3rd party bundle and so on. Anybody who believes that MB are only interested in xyz? is missing the point here. They probably collect more than xyz before farming it to a 3rd party who will sanitize it using a 4th party who will collate it by means of a 5th party who will market it through their 6th party who is liasing with xxxxxxx.

To the OP. Yes it can be switched off. Ask your main dealer to do so.
 
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^^^ This exactly and one of the worst offenders is Google who repeatedly wont let you "proceed" without agreeing to their terms .Sorry but I just cant accept that no-one is interested in collected data
 
Well you are using their service. If you don't agree, don't agree. There's plenty of search engines out there that won't ask you to agree to a thing. Try DuckDuckGo.
 
It's maybe worth considering that Google are complying with multiple data protection law suits that have been brought against them. Many others do not comply with any data protection and therefore do NOT ask you to agree to them doing so.

Because they don't ask does not mean that your data is safer.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK
 
supermonkeyman said:
Don't wana hijack the thread, apparently my car is fitted with a tracker as it used to be owned by the dealership, how would I use it/subscribe to it?
Click to expand...

You need to find out what type by asking the dealer, then phone the tracking company and subscribe. Mercedes dealers don't have to fit a particular tracker.

Cheers
Richard
 
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