2024 spyware

The problems with what the phone collects are a problem with the phone and are issues that need to be addressed and are being addressed and challenged by privacy advocacy all over the world. But those neither make or break what people here are and should be doing about DCM.

You don’t just throw the towel and say fuck it, phones are doing it so let them do it to everything that relates to my existence.

Also: car, useful, necessity. Phones and what people actually use them for? Eh, questionable. If you’re using TikTok, I wouldn’t be surprised if my data is being stolen. But if I’m trying to drive somewhere with a car I own a 100% of? That’s 100% within my right to remain private. I don’t expect privacy if I’m using a public bus, or an airline.

Forget phones, you think phones are the problem? lol. It is far deeper than that. Try banks and credit card companies.

But this is a car forum, expect people to be trying to solve the DCM problem, as they should.

I wouldn’t be surprised if people in this forum who throw the towel and say “well phones are doing it. Fuck it. Track my every move” wouldn’t know that people are trying to solve the problem with phones already. But it is surprising that they’re surprised people are trying to solve privacy issues with their 4Runners.

And the argument of “well I’m not doing anything wrong. Why do I care? Is invalid. Im also not doing anything wrong when I’m taking a dump, but what I do in there and how I do it is a moment of privacy I have a right to, I prefer to invite CEOs of organizations to take data on that than I do them know how and where I drive.

 

They don't still own it. You have the ability to contact toyota have opt out of most data collection. Depending on your jurisdiction you can also request the data toyota has collected on you as well as have it deleted.

When you purchase your 4runner new there is a sticker on the overhead console explaining that data is being collected and how to opt out. It's very simple and is an increasingly regulated process. I opted out. You can too. If you're still worried about it use a different product

 

It’s your right, but you do you. You’re their dream.

 

A “sticker” - ok, and that justifies everything.

We all bought it in spite of the sticker, not because of. No surprise people are trying to kill the DCM now, let them be. It should be celebrated.

 

Are you retarded? The sticker is a disclaimer that data is being collected and also includes instructions on how to opt out. That's exactly how it should work.

 

And this is exactly what I will do, along with other tips like pulling the fuse. Since I intend to drop the headliner (which I expect to be a nightmare) to put Dynamat up there, I might pull the plug on the shark fin just for good measure.

What's a cell phone? Sounds like an unnecessary monthly expense.
Tiktok? Farcebook? Google? Never heard of them.
DCM in a 4Runner? Nope.

I read the owners manual section about the anti-collision camera and radar last night, and I don't really like the situations in which the vehicle might incorrectly decide to apply the brakes for me. Sure, it's a nice idea if you are about to slam into the back of the car in front of you, but the number of situations outlined where it may be set off in the wrong situation, like on curvy roads where it detects a car that is actually in the other lane, is concerning. The vehicle is trying to think for us, and that's probably not such a great idea. I hope it works in reality better than it does on paper as described in the manual. I would be just fine without all of the electronics. My FJ Cruiser doesn't have this stuff. It's just a truck, which is all I really want. Seems like Toyota ought to offer all of these things as an option, not mandatory equipment.

 

I'm curious as to why you bought a 4runner with these things in the first place. Why not keep your current FJ or buy an older 4runner? If you don't like the features of thr vehicle why buy it? You could buy literally anything else or nothing at all. If the FJ has everything you already want, just keep the FJ

 

Depends on the phone and what's installed on it.

An Android phone running GrapheneOS / CalyxOS / LineageOS won't track you. And an iPhone with the privacy settings maxxed out is also pretty darn good.

Most people put a large array of spying apps on their phones and grant them permission to spy on them. The apps are what truly exposes you. Any apps made in unfriendly countries (e.g. TikTok), apps by Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and apps by Google (especially Maps) are some of the most egregious at tracking you. Also all the garbage games and absolutely anything that is ad-supported.

Additionally you need to make sure you've opted for maximum privacy with your cellular carrier. Most sign you up to have as much of your data resold as possible as some kind of disgusting "service" that is disguised as being for your benefit. Check it frequently, they love to change their policies and opt you back in.

With a GrapheneOS cell phone for instance, the only real tracking data that can be retrieved is on the carrier end and only by cell triangulation. Unfortunately that is fundamentally inescapable with any wireless communication device, just like it was on a Motorola DynaTAC in 1983. I do wonder how much that info is resold given that most people blindly hand their constant precise location over to so many apps.

 

What he said was this:

You replied thus:

It is possible that you didn't word this as precisely as you intended, but "change your mind" in this case seems to imply reversing his opinion that a cell phone collects more information than the 4R.

I'm not arguing throwing in throwing in the towel, and I'm aware of all these things, but it's not clear how they align with your suggestion that knowing what is known about you would change someone's mind about whether the phone or 4R is a greater security risk.

 

• The FJ Cruiser is old and tired after 13 years. Although I try to take good care of it, it has not been garage kept. I don't want to spend the money to do everything that it needs done to it. Let it be someone else's concern now.
• I don't want a used truck. I'm beyond that point in life.
• This is the last year for the 4Runner as we know it according to all indicators.
• I like something new every 10-15 years. It may be the last vehicle I buy. We never know.

So we take what we can get and then fix it to our wants and needs as best we can. I have a mod list ready, as do most new buyers. One such mod will be disabling a lot of things.

 

13 years isn't much. Certainly you could spend less replacing whatever worn out components there are than what'd you spend on a new 4runner. It's also just wasteful, especially when you don't even like the new thing you are buying. I'd be much more concerned about the cost and environmental waste over something you can easily opt out of.

 

It depends on how old you are and your health and what you want to scratch off of your bucket list before the end comes.

And still not have a new vehicle. People restore antique vehicles too. Not for me.

I couldn't care less about that.

Wouldn't it be nice if everything in life was exactly the way we want it all the time? Life does not work that way. The Honda Pilot Trailsport for example also has a lot that I don't like, as does every other option on the market.

I want the Toyota 4Runner offroad features and abilities, including readily available mods since the 4R is so common. So we take what we can get, and then fix it to our wants and needs as best we can. I have a mod list ready, as do most new buyers. One such mod will be disabling a lot of things, starting with the spyware. Thus, this thread.

Mod #1 on day #1 will be corrosion protection before any rust has a chance to begin. My FJ Cruiser still looks pretty good underneath as far as rust. Mod #2 I will call the "antispyware mod."

 

A little off-topic because it's not spyware, but I am curious about the front radar panel. A lot of people put on front accessories like bumpers that may interfere with it. What do they do with the radar panel in that case? Remove it? Leave it obstructed? I can't figure out how the front camera and the radar panel work together to make all of this safety stuff work. Maybe I can find some videos that explain it. Good Lord forbid any of it breaks because I'm sure fixing it costs a pretty penny.

 

You can relocate it behind the upper grill, Some bumpers don't interfere with it as is, and some have a provision for it. It depends on what you're looking for. You can also disable it. The camera is unrelated to the radar

 

As others have noted, the panel can be relocated, albeit with some difficulty. Besides safety features, it's also used for the adaptive cruise control. You would still have the old-fashioned cruise control available if you disabled it.

 

Come on man! Listen folks this safety stuff is there to help you and your family and friends that’s it. And that’s not hyperbole!

 

If it would keep someone from hitting me, maybe. Trying to keep me from hitting someone else, or keep me from hurting myself, nope. Last accident was 1992 and that was a fender ding only partially caused by me that no radar or camera would have prevented. I don't need radar and cameras to assist me.

Your mileage may vary.

These things may cause more harm than good as people rely on them to think they are safe instead of staying extra vigilant when driving. "Oh, I can text while driving now because I have a lane departure warning!" "Oh, I can drive when sleepy because I have lane departure and auto cruise control to slow me down when I fall asleep."

 

The camera and radar sensor are both necessary parts of the TSS system. If any one of them don’t work, you’ll get the instrument panel christmas tree and pretty much everything related to tss wont work.

 

Keep in mind the ECU stores a bit of info in case of a crash or malfunction.

 

I thread jacked my own thread! Hah!

I should have chosen a better name for the thread. Something like, "2024 electronic systems spyware, annoyances, disable, and workarounds." Radar and a camera would not have protected me from misnaming the thread.

Like the stupid TPMS light. I KNOW when a tire is screwed up or they are low. I do not need or want an idiot light. Easy to bypass in the FJ with a jumper wire. People who wanted to air down on the trail used to put the TPMS sensors in a pressurized PVC pipe container and toss it in the cargo area. This stuff gets ridiculous.

I noticed that. I think I mentioned that earlier, but I don't think it can be bypassed, and it seems to collect minimal data. Note to self: if in an accident, use hammer to smash unit immediately so it cannot be abused against you. "Sir, data shows that for 50 miles, you exceeded the posted speed limit by .00001 miles per hour, so you WERE in fact speeding. Further, you braked hard twice (nevermind the definition of hard)."

Next annoyance: having to install Pedal Commander, which is on my must-do mod list already. Probably something to do with bypassing EPA mandates to reduce our gas mileage by .000001 MPG by preventing accelerating "too quickly."

NEWS FLASH! Toyota announces that the 2025 4Runner will require drivers to pee in a cup and wait 10 minutes before the engine will start! This added inconvenience and cost has been deemed necessary by legislation to reduce impaired driving.

/end rant/

 

Former attorney. Data collection is real. Thanks. We have a prominent local attorney who warns people about these things on the radio and in advertisements because he has had it used against clients in court unjustly.

Trying to prevent and protect people from their own stupidity with these sensors is pointless.

 

Drunken-Driving Warning Systems Would Be Required for New Cars Under U.S. Bill

Congress attached the mandate to the $1 trillion infrastructure package that President Biden is expected to sign soon. It would take effect as early as 2026.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/10/us/drunk-driving-system-mandate.html

Today's insanity is tomorrow's reality.

I will buy a new 4Runner before the insanity goes any further than it already has and defeat as much spyware and as many annoyances as possible.

 

I have had the fuse pulled for over a year now.

I worked for a government agency years ago where I had to verify a person's identity if they had no I.D. or lost it. It is amazing what the government knows about you.

Your vote matters.

 

Are you proposing that seat belts are a bad idea? I get the privacy concerns but don’t really understand why someone won’t want to wear seat belts.

 

Why is this a bad thing?

 

This!
I think worrying about what a 2008/2009 designed vehicle can collect about your driving habits and using Facebook is like wearing a hat but no pants.

 

Uh oh. Not here to fix whatever’s broken with you. Go see a therapist, or go lift heavy at the gym and grunt loudly.

 

You can leave a phone at home, a car will be more difficult.

I don’t have a Facebook or Google account, I currently use Apple’s Advanced Data Protection for E2EE cloud things, my photos aren’t uploaded to anything online, does that mean I am the only one here allowed to “worry” about vehicle metrics?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_fallacy

 

I think vehicle tracking data is nothing compared to phones and even innocent looking TV remotes, worse ones with voice control. In my previous work place a simple quiet skip ad is been recorded. Needless to say about content tracking and voice commands. Of cause your name, address, credit card, full ssn, etc is shown to customer support agents and support staff.

Another fact, multiple financial institutes may use the same system. Its just to the customer you see different pages from Bank A vs Bank B, but behind the scene its the same system. who knows if its the same story with vehicle tracking data?