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[ Here's something from the eSafety Commissioner rather more useful than
'age-controlled access', and wiodely reported yesterday. ]
[ I was surprised to discover that the earliest postings I can quickly
find were as late as 2012:
Vehicle data recorders - Watching your driving
The Economist
Jun 23rd 2012 | from the print edition
http://www.economist.com/node/21557309
Black boxes in cars raise privacy concerns
Regulators propose black boxes in all new cars, light trucks; privacy
concerns go unaddressed
Joan Lowy, Associated Press | Associated Press
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 2:34 PM EST
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/black-boxes-cars-raise-privacy-082130377.html
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Design failures make smart cars a new weapon for violent partners
eSafety Commissioner
1/12/25
https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/design-failures-make-smart-cars-a-new-weapon-for-violent-partners
eSafety is urging Australians to understand how smart car features can
be misused to monitor, track and intimidate women experiencing domestic
and family violence.
eSafety is raising the alarm of this emerging harm after receiving
reports from frontline workers via its Technology-Facilitated Abuse
Support Service; a dedicated phone-based service and online hub for
frontline workers seeking advice on how to apply safety planning to
digital devices.
“More Australians are buying cars that can connect to the internet and
other smart devices, but domestic violence abusers can exploit these
modern features to spy on and gaslight their partners,” eSafety
Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said.
“Through our service, we're hearing of cases where abusers access trip
histories to keep tabs on a partner’s movements, remotely lock doors or
change the heating to intimidate them, and use kill switches to prevent
them travelling beyond certain distances.
“In these situations, an asset that’s crucial for escape is being used
as a mechanism to trap and control.”
Most smart vehicles have built-in GPS systems and telematics platforms
that record trip histories and real-time location and geofencing alerts.
This data can be accessed through companion apps on smartphones or web
portals, as well as being stored on the cloud or shared with synced
accounts.
“Location tracking is one of the biggest risks to a victim-survivor's
safety when they’re making plans to leave a violent situation. The
violence can escalate and take on new forms.”
To help victim-survivors and frontline workers understand the risks,
eSafety’s latest Online Safety Advisory focuses on smart devices and the
Internet of Things.
“The misuse of smart vehicles forms part of a broader pattern of
technology-facilitated coercive control — a form of abuse that frontline
services tell us is becoming more complex because of the interconnected
nature of popular smart devices that collect and store personal data.
These range from smartwatches and tablets with synced accounts to
security cameras, thermostats and smart TVs.”
To help draw attention to the updated advice, Ms Inman Grant attended a
special event to mark 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based
ViolenceExternal link with Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek;
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin; and
Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT CEO Sue Webeck.
“One of the greatest and rapidly evolving challenges in tackling
domestic, family and sexual violence is technology-facilitated abuse,”
Minister for Social Services, Tanya Plibersek said.
“When a woman seeking help arrives at a shelter, often the first thing
that happens is a thorough check of their phone, car, smartwatch and
personal belongings to identify and destroy tracking devices and
software.”
“The weaponisation of technology by perpetrators requires new thinking
and approaches. It’s a new frontier that we have to tackle.
“It’s why our government has invested in building the capacity of
frontline workers to respond to technology-facilitated abuse, as well as
providing victim-survivors with safe phones that can’t be tracked.”
Commissioner Cronin said, “I regularly hear from people about their
experiences of technology facilitated abuse and the harm it causes them.
“It is vital that we centre people with lived experience of technology
facilitated abuse to continue to build our understanding of how this
type of abuse is evolving, how it is enacted, how we can prevent it, and
how we can better support those who have experienced it.”
Ms Webeck said, “One of the first things we do when responding to
someone experiencing family or domestic violence is talk about what
technology and internet-based services they use or have in their home.
“Technology is everywhere and the benefit it can have in our lives can
quickly become a lethal risk factor for someone experiencing domestic
violence. People aren’t used to assessing their safety based on what
smart fridge, doorbell, tablet device or smart bulb they use. This is
the world frontline services are navigating every day with the community.”
Call for improved industry safeguards
“It's estimated more than 90 per cent of new cars sold in Australia by
2031 will have embedded connectivity. We need urgent action to make them
safer,” Ms Inman Grant said.
eSafety is calling on companies to build safety into smart car devices
and accounts from the start, including:
Emergency lockouts and safe transfers: Provide a simple, documented way
to revoke all access and transfer ownership during separation without
contact with the other party.
User-visible audit logs: Offer a clear history of account access,
location pings and remote commands that can be exported for evidence.
Retailer and dealership standards: Retailers and dealerships should
always reset devices or accounts when they are sold or change owners,
and make sure staff know how to do this safely for people who have
experienced abuse.
“These are solvable design issues,” Ms Inman Grant said. “If
manufacturers and tech companies build in the right safeguards from the
start, we can prevent a lot of harm before it happens. This next
generation of automotive technologies means that car manufacturers need
their next ‘seatbelt moment’.”
Practical steps to reduce vehicle-based risks
Before changing any devices or accounts, consider getting support. A
trained service can help you decide which steps
are appropriate, relevant and safe for your situation. If you’re in
immediate danger – or worried about someone else’s safety – call
emergency services on Triple Zero (000)External link.
Here are some steps you might take with a support of a frontline
domestic, family and sexual violence service:
Reset account control: Consider setting up a new main account on a
‘clean’ device, using a private email and phone number. Update your
passphrases and turn on two-factor authentication for everything. Remove
any extra users and shared keys.
Revoke access everywhere: Log out of companion apps on all devices,
revoke old app tokens and sessions, and unlink any shared Apple/Google
IDs where appropriate.
Retailer or dealership reset: Ask the service desk or dealer to reset
telematics or device links, remove former users, re-issue digital keys,
and confirm no valet/fleet/service access remains.
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Roger Clarke mailto:[email protected]
T: +61 2 6288 6916 http://www.xamax.com.au http://www.rogerclarke.com
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
Visiting Professorial Fellow UNSW Law & Justice
Visiting Professor in Computer Science Australian National University
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