Ford Can Lock You Out of Your Own Car

2026-05-03 02:13 UTC

Cross posted from thelemmy.club/post/48630530 Ford just filed a patent for a truck that monitors your face, your eyes, your emotions, and your “fitness to drive”, and won’t let you use it if the AI thinks you’re not calm enough. You pay for it. You have the title. But Ford decides if you actually get to drive it. Live feeds to insurance companies. Biometric scans running against criminal databases. Microphones capturing every conversation. This is what happens when the DADSS precedent (mandatory car monitoring for drunk driving) opens the door for scope creep. Manufacturers aren’t waiting for public debate. They’re filing patents and building the infrastructure right now. In this episode of The Long Game, we break down Ford’s specific patent claims, explore what the monitoring system actually does, and explain why this matters for ownership, disability access, privacy, and your future. This is the second domino. And it’s already falling. 📌 Sources &amp; Further Reading: Ford Patent US20240249706A1 — patents.google.com/patent/US20240249706A1 Right to Repair Movement &amp; Control — eff.org/deeplinks/2023/04/right-repair-movement-and-threat-right-manipulate John Deere Right to Repair Fight — eff.org/news/right-repair-fight-expanding Facial Recognition Bias Study — nytimes.com/2018/02/09/technology/facial-recognition-race-bias.html BMW Heated Seats Subscription — theverge.com/2022/7/12/23211500/bmw-subscription-fee-heated-seats-us-plans

Replies (7)

@stoy@lemmy.zip 2026-05-03 04:25

So you are out camping far out in the woods, you have brought your children, who are enjoying themselves. Suddenly you hear a scream and see your child lying on the ground bleeding, you feel the adrenaline, and start to panic, but manage to keep it together, you figure out the injury they fell from a tree and hit their head on a rock. You call the emergency number, the operator tells you to start taking the child toa hospital, and that an ambulance will meet you up on the way. You get into your new Ford pickup, carefully secure the child into the backseat. You get into drive, and the car refuses to engage drive, your semi panicked state has had the computer define you as not being fit for driving...

Open ##2210946
@OppressedBread@lemmy.ml 2026-05-03 02:59

some people would read this and will still buy a ford, these companies are taking advantage of the fact that 1- Most people don't know any better / don't bother to do their research even if its one query to the internet. 2- People like picking sides and will still pick this over other viable options, just like how people still pick Tesla when they're actively treating their customers like inconvienent nuances and straight up denying claims for no reason while pushing the "You will own nothing and be happy" motto with their subscription models. The only reason these predatory companies exist is because most people aren't educated and will not be

Open ##2210947
@QuinnyCoded@sh.itjust.works 2026-05-03 12:06

also cops are able to turn off your vehicles engine by calling [onstar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OnStar)

Open ##2210948
@mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 2026-05-03 02:52

Guess people are going to stop buying Fords now. And they fucking derserve to go under for this dystopian bullshit

Open ##2210949
@Muffi@programming.dev 2026-05-03 12:07

Get a Flipper Zero and unlock it right back. A student of mine purchased herself a Flipper Zero, and then challenged our schools administrator that she could unlock his Tesla with it. Took my student less than 10 minutes to get in.

Open ##2210950
@tacosanonymous@mander.xyz 2026-05-03 04:42

I guess you get what you deserve if you buy this. It’s horrible that it exists, though.

Open ##2210951
@rekabis@lemmy.ca 2026-05-03 20:46

And here I am looking fondly at a beautifully restored 1986 F-150 flatbed on FB Marketplace. Ain’t no way they’re gonna fuck with me through that thing.

Open ##2210952