Tracker / SOS functionality

[DaveB]

Avoid
- Tracking
- Remote-controlled stopping of vehicles by the authorities
- Remote-controlled complete lockup of vehicles by the authorities

... to name just a few.

All this has already been demanded several times by "experts" and politicians in the EU and in Germany.

"ECall" is mandatory for all new registrations since 31 March 2018 by EU Regulation 2015/758.

One can think about for what (real) purpose.

Good luck using it in Australia
Mobile phone reception disappears as soon as you get anywhere even remotely non-urban
I am sitting in my office with a phone tower 200 metres away and only have 2 bars reception which often drops to one and sometimes just SOS

 

[emax]

5G will hit Australia sooner or later whether you want it or not.

 

[DaveB]

5G will hit Australia sooner or later whether you want it or not.

It has
There is just so much open space and so few people.
The two main phone providers coverage below
Telstra in brown and Optus in blue.
Telstra also covers everywhere Optus does.

 

[emax]

I see the point.

So you might be lucky - for the time being. And even in the EU we are not yet remotely chained.

But this may be a matter of time. Not only here.

In any case, I understand CountryV8's concerns.

 

[CountyV8]

I do work for a BMW dealer yes, but I've never had anyone ask for the function to be turned off that's all.

Is it a subscription service Steve?

I see the point.

So you might be lucky - for the time being. And even in the EU we are not yet remotely chained.

But this may be a matter of time. Not only here.

In any case, I understand CountryV8's concerns.

Thanks emax it will lead to road pricing and emission zone denial in future . Isn't the SIM card system run by an American company ???

 

[Halliwell Jones Chester]

Is it a subscription service Steve?

Thanks emax it will lead to road pricing and emission zone denial in future . Isn't the SIM card system run by an American company ???

I doubt very much that it's a subscription service as there is no charge in a BMW and I would have thought they'd have used the same system.

 

[klarie]

@emax exactly - I was discussing this in my company with boss, team, etc. - fleet monitoring, security. etc. So I challenged the risks of this and was called paranoid etc.
Remember the pandemic situation. Monitoring the people who met Mondays to walk against mandatory vaccination - so using cell phone data, stopping buses with participants etc.
Its shall be my decision when I want to be visible and when not. - Imagine in the future compulsory Mode S transponder like system in any car and if the government considers you go to an unwanted gathering - get your car disabled and social credit reduced. Like in China - getting your covid app on red because you attempted to travel to an unwanted protest action.
As we now get step by step more information about sideeffects.. the protesters on covid 19 vaccination were probably correct.

However the more important factor is proven: A government uses any crisis as a chance to gather more power and implement more restrictions and monitoring capabilities.
As a result of past 24 month anything that I predicted to my teammates and boss has came true . covid apps - tracking of persons etc.

So I assume techniques to stealth vehicles and persons is something that is required. If I want to be visible i should be able to make this and I should be allowed to be unseen and untracked when I want it, I am aware that I will be seen in public area and perhaps tracked by cameras - but I do like to be forced to tell actively where I am. So my mobile phone is either at home or stays in a shielded cover - if I not want to be tracked. And I want to expose my location only to those who I want. That doesn't include the government and its "services"

 

[bemax]

I see your point also I am not sharing the whole idea.
Of course new technologies do not reduce the ways of control they will expand them. But in many ways they bring more reliability and safety in our life which we do not want to give up.
This forum is an example as well.
The most important thing is that you are able to switch out everything when you want to.
I am a fan of automatic calls after an accident. This safes life for sure. But I want to have the possibility and allowance to switch it off when I want to do so.

 

[CountyV8]

I see your point also I am not sharing the whole idea.
Of course new technologies do not reduce the ways of control they will expand them. But in many ways they bring more reliability and safety in our life which we do not want to give up.
This forum is an example as well.
The most important thing is that you are able to switch out everything when you want to.
I am a fan of automatic calls after an accident. This safes life for sure. But I want to have the possibility and allowance to switch it off when I want to do so.

The places I visit most frequently have no cell service so its pointless.

 

[Lollo050968]

We had in the Polo GTI(s) of both sons a similar system from the insurance. Only emergency call, no tracking for lower insurance rate. The needed both, one time in 3 years, innocent involved in an acciedent, slightly injured.
We all were happy that the system work perfect, calling police and rescue, with first call at the car if the need help.
I used it one time in our Audi manually, with destroyed engine on motorway, between two exits. Audi could teack me and send on a subday within 1h help.

I like the system and will not turn off.

 

[klarie]

In your case - @CountyV8 a sat tracker and sat communication system (on your demand) may help in a real remote area if you want to be tracked. There are still many white spots on the planet for ground communications - and if you are in emergency help arriving in short time is something that cannot be expected.
Any new invention and also trackers, automatic call services etc - can be used positive and negative. However it should always be a personal choice - not the governments.

 

[Pat-Ard]

If it‘s smart, it‘s vulnerable…
Every technology can be misused.

For me it is important to have the knowledge about the upper said, so I can assess my personal impact.

 

[CountyV8]

In your case - @CountyV8 a sat tracker and sat communication system (on your demand) may help in a real remote area if you want to be tracked. There are still many white spots on the planet for ground communications - and if you are in emergency help arriving in short time is something that cannot be expected.
Any new invention and also trackers, automatic call services etc - can be used positive and negative. However it should always be a personal choice - not the governments.

I don't whist to be tracked at all thank you .

 

[DaveB]

The places I visit most frequently have no cell service so its pointless.

A couple of years ago a body was found dumped in a creek in a barrel
The murderer had his mobile phone on and the cops tracked him then found traffic light cameras and other cameras to prove it was him.
If he had just turned his mobile off they never would have got him

 

[Orcmurd]

living in the UK, I seriously doubt the ability of the government/security services/big brother or whoever to be able to do-ordinate their systems to find out that Im having a cheeky BigMac for my lunch. They struggle to co-ordinate the emergency services when there is a serious incident. Also I believe they would need some sort of reasonable grounds to get a phone provider to provide access to my sim. I’ve bigger things to worry about and having driven several BMW cars with the feature, I find it reassuring.

 

[DaveB]

living in the UK, I seriously doubt the ability of the government/security services/big brother or whoever to be able to do-ordinate their systems to find out that Im having a cheeky BigMac for my lunch. They struggle to co-ordinate the emergency services when there is a serious incident. Also I believe they would need some sort of reasonable grounds to get a phone provider to provide access to my sim. I’ve bigger things to worry about and having driven several BMW cars with the feature, I find it reassuring.

They would be pretty damn bored if they started tracking my life.

 

[Max]

They would be pretty damn bored if they started tracking my life.

Nothing to hide is a good quality...happy motoring

 

[emax]

I seriously doubt the ability of the government/security services/big brother or whoever to be able to do-ordinate their systems to find out that Im having a cheeky BigMac for my lunch.

If you mean Google with "Big Brother" you are very wrong. If they want, they can even tell at what time you usually go for a piss. Believe me.

 

[bemax]

If you mean Google with "Big Brother" you are very wrong. If they want, they can even tell at what time you usually go for a piss. Believe me.

Google yes, government normally not. Only when they are really after you

 

[klarie]

We shouldn go into conspiracy theory here. However as a IT person and a natural habit of questioning everything.
For me its a freedom of decision - if I want some tracking - (and I do as well - if I am in the forest alone) - my spouse can get my position and a ping at any time. Also teammates if I am not alone.

However police used a Corona app despite not permitted for this purpose to track, locate and interrogate people that were potential witnesses in a crime. Afaik remember city of Mainz. Rhine Main Area. Got a little disciplinary reminder.. you should not do this.. Oops sorry.

So far to use and misuse. (Doing illegal things to arrest a person that is doing illegal .. is still injustice) No matter what the person in question did.