Technology, for the most part, is a wonderful thing. It has made our work easier and our lives longer and more enjoyable and created vital new segments in our growing economy. But technology also has its dark side. One example is the electronic black box that auto manufacturers install in every new car for the purpose of gathering data in the event that the car crashes. One of the most vital pieces of information is how fast the car was traveling at the moment of impact. This is data that can assist the car companies in designing safer cars. And it allows the federal government to gather crash statistics that can be useful in traffic management.
The black box can also provide a measure of safety when it is used to locate and assist a person in a car with a medical emergency. If your car conks out in the middle of the desert, the black box could save your life.
But the black box has a downside. It invades the privacy of the owner of any vehicle with a black box because the box was not an option when the owner purchased the car. Without knowing it, the surrenders his or privacy to provide crash data for the public good. For now, the data is considered confidential and the property of the car owner. However, judges have already determined that the box and its data can be subpoenaed as evidence against the car owner, creating situations where a defendant – through the data contained in his own black box – is testifying against himself in his own trial. Hoisted on his own petard, as they say.
The courts are not the only conspirators in this dangerous trend. The insurance companies – working closely with local and federal government – have access to the black box data as well. This means that if your black box records a pattern of excessive speed, your insurance rates could increase.
Already one major car rental company use the black box to monitor the speed at which the renters travel. Weeks after the car is returned the renter can receive additional charges on his credit card for a pattern of speeding.
The black box is typical of a trend in government and corporations that is chipping away at what little privacy we have left. Happy motoring.
