Example of an Event Data Recorder (EDR) Device via http://www.njlawman.com/news/event-data-recorder.htm
Bruce Schneier - Black Box Records in Automobiles (May 26, 2011)
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2011/05/black_box_recor.html
Keith Barry - Automotive Black Boxes, Minus the Gray Area (May 23, 2011)
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/05/automotive-black-boxes/
"Binary Blogger" - Black Boxes In Your Car, Safety Issue Or Easier To Apply Blame? (May 31, 2011)
http://technorati.com/technology/article/black-boxes-in-your-car-safety/
Alex Nishimoto -Thread of the Day: Do You Support Having a “Black Box” in Your Car? (May 27, 2011)
http://wot.motortrend.com/thread-day-support-having-black-box-car-82309.html#ixzz1O9YaRezR
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In Cory Doctorow's free e-book version of Little Brother, security technologist and author, Bruce Schneier pens one of the afterwards.
I have since checked out Schneier's website and have subscribed to his blog feed.
Recently, Schneier pointed out that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's is considering the proposal of new rules for the United States that would make it a requirement for automobile makers to install "black box" event data recorders (EDR's) in all new vehicles. These black boxes would always be turned on, the data collected would likely be a trade secret, and most people would probably only be vaguely aware of their existence (and only then because of a legal disclosure in the owners manual, which disclosure likely explains that to tamper with the device may make affect your warranty coverage).
The information recorded by these black boxes could, in turn, be used by insurance companies, law enforcement, and the automobile companies themselves, for instance.
Creepy? Outrageous? Well, according to Keith Barry's May 23rd Wired.com article:
Automakers have long installed electronic data recorders in their automobiles, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has since late 2006 required automakers to tell consumers about the devices. That federal rule also outlines what information is recorded and stipulates that it be used to increase vehicle safety.
For instance, since the early 1990's nearly all GM vehicles with airbags have contained these EDR devices, which have evolved over time to collect data from at least 30 different data points.
The data can be used by the auto manufacturer's for improving safety and analyzing collisions. (Sounds ok, right?)
In the case of a lawsuit, this data can be used as evidence if permitted by state law. State law can also determine whether law enforcement can access the data without a warrant or subpoena.
Technorati.com writer, "Binary Blogger," poses some great "food for thought" about this issue:
...you have no idea what is being recorded. Speed, brakes, engine statistics would be the basic data points you would think are getting stored, but what about GPS position? With almost every car new having a GPS installed in them, why couldn't they store your coordinates as you drive as well? Record if you have your seat belt on or not? Look at the volume of your radio? Detect how many people are in the car? If your car has a camera system, who says they are not taking a picture every 30 seconds and storing it? Cars today have several computers all over the place to control fuel, brakes, electrical, etc... all it takes is a small change to record a data point.
Some insurance companies have been offering reduced premiums for drivers who agree to have their driving monitored by the insurance companies via EDR technology. For at-risk drivers, this would be a tempting way to be able to stay on the road.
I found MotorTrend's poll on the question of whether its readers support having black boxes installed in their vehicles interesting, as well. As one commenter, "Tom", put it:
The reason there is no outrage over GM using them is that if you truly do not want one, you can simply choose another brand, or take the box out of your GM car. Also, the government would not be monitoring the boxes on one brand. If every car was required to have one, it would not be a stretch for the government to start keeping tabs on people.
Dangerous Questions?
Does your car have a black box installed? Check out your owner's manual and the lists maintained at HarrisTechnical.com.
Unless you drive an older vehicle and/or a vehicle without air bags, chances are your car is using EDR technology. It looks like my 1999 Jeep Wrangler may be "black box"-free (with Wranglers carrying the technology for 2007 models and newer).
Now that you've determined whether you have been driving around with a black box, how do you feel about this? Relieved? Safe? Annoyed? Angry? Indifferent?
