Privacy Experts Shun Black Boxes (electronic data recorders now mandatory in all cars)

FoxNews ^ | Nov. 11, 2004 | Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

[FairOpinion]

Some safety and privacy experts are reacting with apprehension, others with all out condemnation over a recent ruling by the National Transportation Safety Board to require electronic data recorders or "black boxes" in all new cars manufactured in the United States.

"I take offense that this personal property of individuals is now being designed by the federal government," said Jim Harper, privacy attorney and editor of Privacilla.org.

EDRs are certainly not new. Information gathered on black boxes — typically everything from speed, brake pressure, seat belt use and air bag deployment — has already been used in determining guilt in criminal and civil cases across the country.

Privacy experts warn that once cars are outfitted for the most limited data recording, the government will find a way to argue it’s for drivers’ "own good" to collect more. They point to a push in recent years to install GPS in all cars so that emergency officials can easily find incapacitated accident victims.

"When you are telling someone it is for their own good, then it should be their own choice, they should be able to say ‘no,’" said professor Yale Kamisar of the University of Michigan Law School. "None of these things work out the way they are supposed to. Why should we believe all of these assurances when they haven’t been honored in the past?"

[SALChamps03]

I wouldn't care if it was on my vehicle as I have nothing to hide.

Of course not comrade.

[jpsb]

You will make a very fine serf.

[unixfox]

Yet this kind of stuff keeps being decided, without any outcry from anyone.

Bad things happen when good men do nothing.

The sheeple are asleep and we have the so called government "protecting us".

They should start looking over their shoulders, time is coming that these people will have to face a very disgruntled public. It will make the Civil war look like childs play.

[all4one]

"Actually, driving is a privilege, not a right. Don't like the box, don't drive."

Sometimes an accident is just an accident, with no need for criminal charges or liability. So what will law enforcement do if two 1980 cars have an accident...maybe go back to good ole police work. BTW the data from the black boxes is downloaded and distributed "without" a warrent to the insurance companies.

[Revel]

That is crazy. I had never even thought of them doing that. It also occurs to me that the government or the police could do this even if the vehicle had long been paid for. I think I will stick to older vehicles. If you could figure out where the antenna was then you could short it to ground and that would probably disable satellite access.