closewith 3 days ago

While eCall has some weak privacy protections (it's open to all the standard cellular network surveillance lawful in each country), it also means you cannot disable the vehicle's modem in most (maybe all) EU countries with failing roadworthiness checks and insurance policies.

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  • jeroenhd 3 days ago

    eCall mustn't be active until an accident occurs. The lawful interception lobby tried hard to turn every car into a free data point they could sell to the government, but their efforts have failed.

    Last I heard they've shifted their efforts to making remote activation of on-board cameras part of the 5/6G smart car bullshit (which will of course be part of road safety requirments not long after).

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    • closewith 3 days ago

      No, that's not correct. The eCall spec requires self-checks that include registering with the network on at least every ignition.

      However, more importantly, it means you can't lawfully disable the modem that the manufacturer uses for its own telemetry.

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      • Lio 3 days ago

        Are you sure about that? My understanding was that the eCall self test does not connect to a network.

        That’s stated on the eCall page linked above. Do you have a source that contradicts that?

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