Is Your Car Listening To You?

About a year ago, I noticed something disturbing: My wife’s car is eavesdropping on me.

Many (most?) of you may already know about this capability, but it’s news to me. I felt it might be worth posting this for those that don’t know about it and who value their privacy.

Pretty much everyone knows that when you type in a search on one of the big search engines, you’ll get ads related to that search popping up on your laptop, phone or desktop. Algorithms and all that. And I’m sure we all know that iPads, iPhones, computers and pretty much anything with a ‘personal assistant’ embedded in its software is constantly eavesdropping on everything you do or say in your home. Hell, even my frickin’ fridge is listening. And we ALL know by now that these systems are constantly making suggestions on what to read or what to buy, based on what they hear. But I failed to make the connection that a Bluetooth equipped car would be no different.

My wife bought a new Volvo in 2019 that came equipped with Siri and Bluetooth. On any given day, my wife and I hang out in our nice, clean garage with one or both roll up doors open, smoking cigarettes, drinking a beer and enjoying the shade. It’s the closest thing we have to a Three Seasons room. Because her car was new, we parked it in the garage.

I started noticing ads popping up on my iPad that were related to topics of discussion we’d just had in the garage. I wondered: Just how sensitive IS my iPad? Can it REALLY hear conversations 15 feet away, through a solid door? [I usually keep my iPad in the kitchen, which is on the other side of the garage door, about 15 feet from where my wife and I sit in the garage]

So I conducted an experiment. I placed my iPad in my wife’s home office (a good thirty feet from the garage) and turned it off. I still got ads related to our conversation. I hadn’t done a search…so how was my iPad getting the most recent information from our conversation, information to base its ad content on?
And then it hit me: my wife’s car was eavesdropping on us—even though the cars ignition was off and had been for many hours! So just to check this theory, I ran a second experiment. I sat alone in the garage and said out loud “Jeans. I think I need new blue jeans”. I didn’t really, and shopping for clothes is my LEAST favorite activity on earth. It’s just not something I talk about or look for.

I went in, grabbed my iPad and turned it on. Then pulled up a website I browse from time to time. Sure enough, there’s an ad for blue jeans!

Here’s my takeaway on this: Apple and Google were both busted for lying to their customers about their personal assistants not listening to you when your device was off. They’ve managed to turn EVERY ‘smart’ appliance, tool and and now even our parked cars into a listening device. I knew about the others, just not a parked car that (in theory) SHOULDN’T have enough voltage going through the car to power it’s Bluetooth system. How else could the car send a wireless report to your home server?

So every time you walk past a newer car parked on the street with your wife or buddies, just know this: someone somewhere is listening. Even if you left your phone at home.

a reply to: Thoughtcrime

Of course it is.

Any connected device has the capability to listen to your conversations, including your fridge. There is no standard for this type of activity at this time so it's kind of a free for all with IOT and 4.0 products.

a reply to: Thoughtcrime

just the other day, we were talking about how to get rid of the body, should we freeze it and then use the wood chipper, or should we use the drum and acid. Well, my phone gave me adds for wood chippers, so I have to assume they know best. we went that route and it worked out great. So don't feel like they are against you, they can be helpful.

a reply to: network dude

Too funny🤣😂😂

I never see advertisements because of the setup I have on my devices. I would recommend making some changes to your software.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I know that. I guess I’m just more perplexed that I didn’t make the connection between smart devices and smart device equipped cars is what I’m saying.

a reply to: Metallicus

Does that require some pay-per-service ad blocker? I’ve done everything I know how to do to reduce the number of ads I get, but I still get them.

a reply to: network dude

I hope you aimed the chute at your garden.
Recycling is important ya know.


...and besides, it makes great fertilizer. You should see my tomatoes.

originally posted by: Thoughtcrime
I know that. I guess I’m just more perplexed that I didn’t make the connection between smart devices and smart device equipped cars is what I’m saying.

In a couple years your car will have your ID and payment info encoded into the dash software. Good times.

a reply to: Thoughtcrime

The technology builds on existing surveillance tools, many of which are aging, grainy-video cameras that don't record sound and produce footage officers review only after a crime has been committed. ShotSpotter also sends alerts to apps on cops' phones.

www.businessinsider.com...

This is old, old, technology. What they have now is probably a lot more invasive.

I wonder if all those purple street lights popping up all over America, is related in any way. ????

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Will we even be allowed to have cars?

originally posted by: Thoughtcrime
a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Will we even be allowed to have cars?

I'm sorry Dave......I'm afraid I can't do that.....

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Yeah! What IS with those purple street lights? I thought the yellow ones were supposed to replace those bright white lamps to save energy.

originally posted by: Thoughtcrime
Will we even be allowed to have cars?

Of course. However you might be insurance premium'd into oblivion if you want to drive them at some point instead of letting them self drive.

originally posted by: Thoughtcrime

I sat alone in the garage and said out loud “Jeans. I think I need new blue jeans”. I didn’t really, and shopping for clothes is my LEAST favorite activity on earth. It’s just not something I talk about or look for.

I went in, grabbed my iPad and turned it on. Then pulled up a website I browse from time to time. Sure enough, there’s an ad for blue jeans!

Why did you choose to say 'Jeans'?

Can you be 100% certain that you had not already seen ads for jeans on your computer earlier that day, but did not consciously notice them because you weren't paying attention?

If you weren't paying close attention to the ads until afterwards, then it's hard telling what you may have unknowingly glanced at previously.



ETA: It might be a good idea to experiment several more times before reaching any conclusions.

a reply to: Thoughtcrime

I started noticing this in 2014 or so but i was called paranoid and a conspiracy nut for it by people IRL and online. Well that sure changed as today everyone sees it happening to them clear as day. I also remember a fairly recent case where the FBI made a arrest by listening in through a "smart" refrigerator. This should definitely spook people, not just actual criminals but soon you'll be in a court where they present evidence recorded from you from devices around your house and wherever you have roamed outside that show how not woke you are. AKA homophobic, sexist, Nazi yadayadayada.

But i am just a conspiracy nut, /s.

Article from 2016:
The government just admitted it will use smart home devices for spying

Camera's and microphones are not just in your phone/ipad or google/amazon or any other "assistant" but also in your TV, refrigerator you car or any of those sort of devices you pass along the way when you are out. think bout that

outside of those there are camera's installed everywhere. the streets. Security camera's from shops inside and outside (often enough with microphones (no I'm not joking)) with a lot of those connected to central facial recognition systems which today can even recognize you through face coverings.

The clip from the film is already a fact in everyway. It is dramatized of course in its presentation for effect but we know for instance that the chinese have admitted and even use it as a threat towards their people that they can find/pinpoint any "dissident" who posts any sort of "illegal" content online within 4 minutes:

I'd be looking elsewhere for what's listening ... not that this is impossible but you where outside the car

I mean if they are buying junk data record outside well I can provide but for targeted advertising this is useless

I'd try again with the battery disconnected

a reply to: Thoughtcrime

Well no #, Sherlock, this isn't even hidden by manufacturers anymore.

The only key takeaway from it is...buy more wisely in the future, inundation is 100% the buyer's fault.

Or in other words, buy "dumb" or "obsolete" stuff instead. The connectedness isn't a big benefit over manual versions.

So how do I pinpoint whom in my proximity is talking about "Armed garden gnomes" and " BDSM attire "....???

originally posted by: AccessDenied
So how do I pinpoint whom in my proximity is talking about "Armed garden gnomes" and " BDSM attire "....???

What the hell is DB up to now?