[Leaning Right]

I’m not an automotive engineer, and I do not play one on TV. But I wonder, couldn’t this Big Brother kill switch be simply bypassed by the car’s owner?

Here’s what I mean. If Resistance #3 is the Big Brother kill switch, just short it out.

[Dr. Sivana]

But I wonder, couldn’t this Big Brother kill switch be simply bypassed by the car’s owner?

Unlikely. Since all the cars will have it integrated (it is not an option like Onstar was), numerous aspects of the cars other computers (they are legion) will be looking for it, and may make the car undriveable until fixed.

It think some systems will be more easily defeated than others. For instance, cars that are based on cars sold in other countries that DON'T have the requirement (e.g. India) are likely to be less well integrated. Second, for the government control aspect, finding the antenna that downloads the government/third party signal and disabling it by disconnection or by covering with aluminum foil may take care of that issue. Third, some popular models (Mustang, Silverado) may have after-market "performance" kits that could work around it, though they may be illegal to purchase here.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Sure, but they will probably make it a Federal felony to disable it - like airline lavatory smoke detectors. And it will notify law enforcement over WiFi if tampered with.