cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1247209/all-cars-sold-in-the-eu-now-require-a-camera-aimed-at-your-face-its-still-not-clear-wher

Starting July 7, 2026, every new car sold in the European Union must include a driver monitoring camera aimed at your face. Glance at your phone, your kids in the back seat, or the radio for too long, and the car will flash a warning light and sound an alert.

Automakers have known this was coming for years. What they, and EU regulators, have never spelled out is what happens to that footage after the alert goes off.

While the intention behind the new system is difficult to dispute, its implementation has raised several concerns. Early real-world testing suggests the distraction warnings can be overly sensitive and potentially distracting.

        • Drusas@fedia.io
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          11
          ·
          5 days ago

          Honestly, I would guess you’re one of a very small minority, yeah. Because phones get lost, stolen, or confiscated by fascist “law enforcement” pretty commonly. Or someone you know picks it up while you’re gone.

          Most people like a degree of privacy. Even my grandma has a pin on her phone.

          • Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.org
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            5 days ago

            Yeah I’ve noticed that most people are rather baffled when i say i have no passcode or anything on my phone.

            I just find that the risk of any of the affirmationd things happening is low enough that it doesn’t outweigh the annoyance that comes from entering passcodes tens of times a day.

            But I’m not in the USA so risk profiles are slightly different.

        • civilfolly@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          5 days ago

          I would suggest to start practicing to say goodbye to privacy, bank accounts, etc etc etc etc etc, when your phone is stolen.

          • Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.org
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            5 days ago

            Bank account does have a passcode, mandatory. Steam as well. Privacy is kinda irrelevant, what’s a random thief going to do with my messages or grocery list?

            Good thing i have a phone that’s not really marketable and thus not really tempting anyone to steal it.

            But how likely is it that a phone gets stolen? Of course that might depend on a location, but locally that’s an anomaly. So it’s the old point of security feature itself becoming a bigger nuisance than the threat of whatever it’s trying to protect me from.

    • NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      5 days ago

      Iphone SE’s didnt have face unlock but still use the IR camera to scan your face every second.

      Just because you don’t use it doesn’t mean it’s not being used on you (apologies for breaking it to you)

        • NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          5 days ago

          Oh nah no need to apologise, their products haven’t been good for decades. Merely making a point about how tech can be entirely hidden from the user

          • crandlecan@mander.xyz
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            5 days ago

            I just learned about internetless TVs that build mesh networks until one TV is found that can access the internet… that sounds like infiltrating a WiFi network and should be illegal.

            • NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              4 days ago

              Wait until you hear about the facial recognition and expression reading cameras built into the fast food ‘order here’ screens

              • crandlecan@mander.xyz
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                4 days ago

                Another place where I never go. I’m starting to feel proud about my decision making about now…