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Is it UConnect that constantly sends data to Dodge or something else?

JimKIII

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I getting ready to submit a factory order for a 2022 Bighorn. This is the first rig I've bought new since my 2004 Dakota and LOTS of things have changed since; like all the sensors, computers, etc. My wife's Mazda is constantly sending data back to Mazda, GPS is constantly displaying every street she drives by, etc. So I'm sure this same sort of thing is going on with these new trucks. Now, I'm not a full-fledged paranoia type, but I generally dislike having my whereabouts and driving habits transmitted, by default, to places and folks unknown to me. I'm also a retired IT network engineer so I'm fairly savvy about the fact that anymore these days no one is really off the grid, especially if one is toting around a cell phone.

In order to get bucket seats instead of the front bench, I have to choose either the Level 1 or 2 package - and with that comes UConnect & SiriusXM. I understand SiriusXM is a subscription for radio, but it is the UConnect that has me curious.

With that said, what device on these Rams trucks is transmitting data via 3G/4G/5G , etc., back 'home', where ever that is? And the BIG question ---- can it be turned off, disabled, yanked out?

I'm quite capable of knowing when to have maintenance done without needing some yahoo back in Dodge Land sending me a note on the screen that I have 20 more miles before a recommended service.
 

DTN

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We should be concerned with all technologies that collect our personal data.

I would also like to know how to temporarily disable transmission of data outbound from my truck. Possibly a RF switch to disconnect the cellular modem coax cable going to the shark-fin antenna.
 
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Vaulter98c

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I promise you the cell phone you have and the computer you are posting this from are both capturing way more tracking data on you than your truck radio will lol

On a more technical side, I would be careful trying to block all outbound transmissions via some shady methods, some vendors like Tesla will lock things out if you are "offline" too long. Not sure if the Rams are like that but everything is going to be going that way.

Seriously though, until you get a dumb phone and carry it wrapped in foil there's no point to worry about your truck gps data, your smart phone is already capturing that lol. If you have a google account signed in on your phone go look up your travel history if you dont believe me lol
 

DTN

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I promise you the cell phone you have and the computer you are posting this from are both capturing way more tracking data on you than your truck radio will lol

On a more technical side, I would be careful trying to block all outbound transmissions via some shady methods, some vendors like Tesla will lock things out if you are "offline" too long. Not sure if the Rams are like that but everything is going to be going that way.

Seriously though, until you get a dumb phone and carry it wrapped in foil there's no point to worry about your truck gps data, your smart phone is already capturing that lol. If you have a google account signed in on your phone go look up your travel history if you dont believe me lol

Actually my phone and computers are not tracking my personal data. I'm anonymous on the internet and I use a burner phone with VPN and my computers use VPN at all times. I never provide personal information when online.
 

Vaulter98c

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Actually my phone and computers are not tracking my personal data. I'm anonymous on the internet and I use a burner phone with VPN and my computers use VPN at all times. I never provide personal information when online.

Thats more than most but there is still a ton of data floating about that all it takes is someone tying you to your phone and they can have a history of where you go and what you do. Despite the VPN your call records are still recorded by the company, your rough location is still tracked even without GPS just by knowing what cell towers you are pinging off, and you still have cookies and flags on the phone that track your browsing data even if you have a VPN and try to block cookies. As for the PC side, even when using a VPN that traffic isn't that hard to view and a lot of company's as we have seen with hacks will log your data regardless of what their official policy is listed on their site as.

Army buddy of mine got out after one of our tours and has been working with DHS on a team that tracks criminals online for a few years now, usually kiddie pron people but they do a ton of drug ring and human trafficking cases too, and he's always telling me about how easy it is for them to see everything you do even with a VPN on. We were both IT in the service and on the outside so it's in our wheelhouse of things we are knowledgeable on and like to talk about. Other guys and 1 gal have gone on the cyber track and they tell me similar stories. I hope to go cyber myself but still have a few years left on this contract before I can jump over to cyber defenders. Hell another one of our guys is a PenTester now for DOD (marines now, no longer army) and he's singing the same songs, VPNs are more a feeling of security then anything actually secure.

Now I'm not saying anything you are doing is wrong, short of the burner phone I do the same things here but it's just the nature of the world we live in and the way the tech we use works, you can't really hide once you have connected devices or computers, only sure fire way is to go fully off the grid but that's not practical in 99.9% of people's lives, instead we have to do stuff like what you just mentioned and just do our best but you can't escape it.
 

DTN

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Thats more than most but there is still a ton of data floating about that all it takes is someone tying you to your phone and they can have a history of where you go and what you do. Despite the VPN your call records are still recorded by the company, your rough location is still tracked even without GPS just by knowing what cell towers you are pinging off, and you still have cookies and flags on the phone that track your browsing data even if you have a VPN and try to block cookies. As for the PC side, even when using a VPN that traffic isn't that hard to view and a lot of company's as we have seen with hacks will log your data regardless of what their official policy is listed on their site as.

Army buddy of mine got out after one of our tours and has been working with DHS on a team that tracks criminals online for a few years now, usually kiddie pron people but they do a ton of drug ring and human trafficking cases too, and he's always telling me about how easy it is for them to see everything you do even with a VPN on. We were both IT in the service and on the outside so it's in our wheelhouse of things we are knowledgeable on and like to talk about. Other guys and 1 gal have gone on the cyber track and they tell me similar stories. I hope to go cyber myself but still have a few years left on this contract before I can jump over to cyber defenders. Hell another one of our guys is a PenTester now for DOD (marines now, no longer army) and he's singing the same songs, VPNs are more a feeling of security then anything actually secure.

Now I'm not saying anything you are doing is wrong, short of the burner phone I do the same things here but it's just the nature of the world we live in and the way the tech we use works, you can't really hide once you have connected devices or computers, only sure fire way is to go fully off the grid but that's not practical in 99.9% of people's lives, instead we have to do stuff like what you just mentioned and just do our best but you can't escape it.

Yep, I'm very aware of what the government and corporations do to collect, analyze and sell our personal data. It's much worse than you could imagine. That's why I do everything I can, within reason, to protect my personal data.

But are you telling me we should all just give in to the growing government agencies and corporations that are trying to collect, analyze and sell our personal data?

I think we should be trying to protect ourselves and speaking out against these violations of our rights.
 

Neurobit

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Actually my phone and computers are not tracking my personal data. I'm anonymous on the internet and I use a burner phone with VPN and my computers use VPN at all times. I never provide personal information when online.
A true burner would have to be discarded after a few calls to be effective, otherwise, it's all academic. Doubt you're doing this and getting a new phone every week.

Cheers,
 

EMS_Pilot_66

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I getting ready to submit a factory order for a 2022 Bighorn. This is the first rig I've bought new since my 2004 Dakota and LOTS of things have changed since; like all the sensors, computers, etc. My wife's Mazda is constantly sending data back to Mazda, GPS is constantly displaying every street she drives by, etc. So I'm sure this same sort of thing is going on with these new trucks. Now, I'm not a full-fledged paranoia type, but I generally dislike having my whereabouts and driving habits transmitted, by default, to places and folks unknown to me. I'm also a retired IT network engineer so I'm fairly savvy about the fact that anymore these days no one is really off the grid, especially if one is toting around a cell phone.

In order to get bucket seats instead of the front bench, I have to choose either the Level 1 or 2 package - and with that comes UConnect & SiriusXM. I understand SiriusXM is a subscription for radio, but it is the UConnect that has me curious.

With that said, what device on these Rams trucks is transmitting data via 3G/4G/5G , etc., back 'home', where ever that is? And the BIG question ---- can it be turned off, disabled, yanked out?

I'm quite capable of knowing when to have maintenance done without needing some yahoo back in Dodge Land sending me a note on the screen that I have 20 more miles before a recommended service.
Research Uconnect 5 and you’ll find out all the criminal data that the Ram will be sending. It’s so invasive of your personal life. 😂😂😂
 

vetto

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I too am very interested in this question.
I would like to know what data my truck is storing, what data is it transmitting, how it's doing either, what are my options in limiting it (if any), and what are the ramifications of doing so (if I can)? Can anyone answer those questions?
 

Neurobit

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I too am very interested in this question.
I would like to know what data my truck is storing, what data is it transmitting, how it's doing either, what are my options in limiting it (if any), and what are the ramifications of doing so (if I can)? Can anyone answer those questions?
See post #5 above.

Cheers,
 

Jimmy07

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I too am very interested in this question.
I would like to know what data my truck is storing, what data is it transmitting, how it's doing either, what are my options in limiting it (if any), and what are the ramifications of doing so (if I can)? Can anyone answer those questions?
All the answers to your questions are in post 5 above
 

vetto

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Sorry, all the answers to my questions were in post 5 above.

Now, I believe that the car is still using Sprint's telemetric platform to transmit and receive data ... and most of the data transmission to FCA and OTHERS can be deactivated remotely (if you read the link in post #5), but back to the op's question, where is that transceiver? in the sharkfin? Nice to know what to yank out when the hackers try to drive me into a ditch for the lolz.
 

Jimmy07

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Sorry, all the answers to my questions were in post 5 above.

Now, I believe that the car is still using Sprint's telemetric platform to transmit and receive data ... and most of the data transmission to FCA and OTHERS can be deactivated remotely (if you read the link in post #5), but back to the op's question, where is that transceiver? in the sharkfin? Nice to know what to yank out when the hackers try to drive me into a ditch for the lolz.
It’s in the radio.
 

EMS_Pilot_66

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Best way to prevent data being sent back from your super secret lives is to buy a 1970s car without any computers Or a gps in it.
 

DTN

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You can opt out of certain things, or everything, if you want-

Thanks for this post.

The opt out of "certain things" is good, it's the things you can't opt out of.

The 2,700 page infrastructure bill includes a provision to collect automobile telemetric data that is collected by auto-makers. This is just an example of where some of your data goes. As mentioned in a previous post, intelligence agencies also collect internet data. If you have voice interfaced devices and services then your voice is digitized and sent over the internet and collected. Voice interfaces are always listening.

Some people have no problems with the loss of their privacy and violations of their rights. That is their prerogative. Some willingly put active listening devices in their homes, offices and automobiles. These devices, like the Amazon's Alexa devices or Google devices, that are "connected" and always listening, digitizing voice and transmitting voice data over the internet to the service provider 24/7.

I choose to protect my privacy as much as reasonably possible.

Its interesting when people who willingly give up their privacy rights mock the people who actually try to protect their privacy rights.
 
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DTN

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A true burner would have to be discarded after a few calls to be effective, otherwise, it's all academic. Doubt you're doing this and getting a new phone every week.

Cheers,

A burner phone is a "no contract" prepay mobile phone service. The phone itself can be what ever you choose from a cheap phone to a top of the line phone.

I didn't buy a "no contract" prepay phone specifically to protect my privacy. I bought it because it costs me $15 per month for service and the leftover talk, data and text rolls-over each month. Now I have thousands of talk minutes, thousands of texts and tens of Gigabytes of data. It's much less expensive and much better privacy compared to a big telecommunications company contract service and I use the same big network. I can even use the 5G service.
 
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