this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2026
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Modern vehicles have evolved from mechanical machines into complex networks of processors, sensors, and code.

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[–] minorkeys@sh.itjust.works 1 points 21 minutes ago* (last edited 20 minutes ago)

There Are 100 Computers Hiding in Your Car Right Now (You’re Riding a ~~Data Center~~ mobile surveillance and anti-privacy device on Wheels)

[–] 404found@lemmy.zip 1 points 43 minutes ago

I figured there was a lot of data tracking because it's not uncommon for my infotainment center to crash my Apple CarPlay connection when a message pops up saying my truck is sending data to Ford. Like damn, chill out Ford. Let me live a little.

[–] Professorozone@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

I didn't read the article but these days a turn signa,for instance, doesn't just connect to a flasher and a bulb. It connects to the network in the car and requests that the computer initiate the turn signal. This means the turn signal switch itself has to have a chip in it to communicate with the network that I believe they are calling a sort of computer. Virtually every component in the car operates like this. It really isn't the same thing as 100 computers..

[–] Professorozone@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

We have a 1999 model car. I know it inside and out and there are nowhere near 100 computers in it.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 8 points 6 hours ago

Not this ship, sister.

[–] DudeImMacGyver@kbin.earth 13 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

My daily driver is a bicycle, checkmate.

[–] noahm@lemmy.world 6 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go pair my bike with my phone so I can upgrade the derailleur’s firmware…

[–] DudeImMacGyver@kbin.earth 4 points 3 hours ago

shrugs in mechanical

[–] TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 51 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

there are 100 computers hiding in your car right now

Wow! I have a car?

[–] django@discuss.tchncs.de 18 points 11 hours ago

I am as surprised as you are.

[–] scytale@piefed.zip 28 points 11 hours ago

You’re riding a data center on wheels

Oh yeah? Where’s my tax break then? And my subsidized water usage?

[–] Triumph@fedia.io 17 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

I mean, strictly speaking yes, but that's like saying your quartz watch is a computer.

[–] lyralycan@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

It's fucking wild how quickly the media work to water down the impact of things that make Western governments a lot of quick money. Like overusing 'genocide' to stop people talking about the annihilation of Palestine, they're using articles worded like this to distract from the actual data centres.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 13 points 10 hours ago

Cars have been like this for three decades. The problem is that some of those computers do data collection & upload.

[–] eleitl@lemmy.zip 18 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

All I need is a baseline open hardware EV. Fat chance, of course. So I guess I have to buy something used, today older than 8 years and counting.

[–] Shadow@lemmy.ca 16 points 12 hours ago (3 children)

Not quite open hardware, but it's minimal compute - https://www.slate.auto/

[–] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

I tried so hard to hold on for the chance to purchase one but my old car began to reek of moist unwashed towels thanks to all the rain. Ended up getting a sweet deal on a '22 Bolt with 13k miles for $15k. There's a way to reversibly terminate the data line with $15 worth of equipment and 10 minutes.

[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 5 points 12 hours ago

I have my prrorder but without a price still I am still unsure if I will get one.

[–] eleitl@lemmy.zip 4 points 12 hours ago

Interesting, thanks.

[–] vaionko@sopuli.xyz 7 points 10 hours ago

No it doesn't. The only computer in there is the aftermarket head unit, and even that is over a decade old.

[–] athatet@lemmy.zip 5 points 10 hours ago

Headlines are clearly not written for lemmy users lmao.

[–] ProdigiousInsanity@lemmus.org 8 points 12 hours ago

Pretty sure that my 2004 rav4 that just lost a muffler on the highway does not house a data center, it still has a tape deck....

[–] Xaphanos@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago

This is promising career news for data center techs like me.

[–] Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Nope. We bought a pretty dumb car. Sadly only the "entry-models" have no shit in them. At least no cloud-shit. Android-auto to not be bound to abysmal onboard-systems that require subscriptions. And that's it.

I love tech from the depth of my heart. But in a car I want haptic buttons and dials and no 2m long touchscreens where I can only turn on the AC when I have reception 😁

[–] atrielienz@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (1 children)

Your car probably has an electronics module (ECM) and a power train module (PCM) at the very least. But there's very few cars built in the last 3 decades that don't have at least two computers in them of some kind.

Obviously that's not a "data center on wheels" but I hope this headline is hyperbole.

[–] Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 3 points 8 hours ago

Yeah of course our car does not run on love and solar energy :) I totally don't worry about some tech, i worry about connected cars. Which only unavoidably leads to subscriptions for everything and tons of privacy problems.