Dash cams. Can or do they send to 3rd party without you knowing?

[Deezl Smoke]

 So I admit I am quite technology challenged, and not too awful ashamed. While looking at dash cameras, someone in a youtube comment (I know....) mentioned that some of the new dashcams with wifi and other connectivity means for downloading to your phone etc, can, or might, or do, depending if the manufacturer has contracts or ties with a governing agency, send video as it is recorded without you knowing about it. ?

 I know, right? Normally I would have a good chuckle and tell myself it takes a lot of tin foil nowdayz. However, giving that it is 2023 and the amazing amount of other public monitoring cameras etc., now I'm not laughing so much. So is it possible and/or probable for this to be going on?

[agesilaus]

Offhand it seems unlikely they are not wired into a network after all but who knows. But with WIFI connection it could happen. Take a heck of a lot of bandwidth and storage

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by agesilaus

[GeorgiaHybrid]

No idea but if it's made by Apple or Google, you probably need to stock up on tin foil

[Dutch_12078]

WiFi equipped dash cams are little different than WiFi equipped security cameras used in/on millions of businesses and residences. Law enforcement agencies with sufficient cause for legal access to specific cameras could monitor the feeds in the right circumstances, but the shear storage capacity needed for any broad ranging monitoring of the millions of cameras in use, whether for security or accident/driving monitoring is mind boggling.  

[Chalkie]

I don't offhand know of any wifi enabled dash cams although I suppose there might be some. One thing to remember about a dash cam though is that like the EDR ("black box") that can be subpoenaed by law enforcement or insurance companies, so can a dash cam if they are aware of its existence. 

I have a dash cam for my protection but I think that if I thought an accident might be my fault the SD card might vanish. 😁

[Darryl&Rita]

Have you ever connected your phone to an open wifi network? How many hoops did you have to jump through? Wifi dash cams make it easier to download the data via your network (no wires needed), not for the tinfoil crowd to worry about. That doesn't stop them, but that's on them. If you're worried about The Man seeing what you've been up to, in the settings, turn off the wifi. Or, get the dash cam it's own little tinfoil chapeau.

[RV_]

No simply put. Dash cams are not usually where you can access WiFi. They use USB Flash drives like my Tesla or Micro SD Cards.

Having said that if your vehicle is always connected like mine it is possible. I have a couple of old phones I thought about playing with to make them dash cams recording in a loop. They would not be connected because of no Sim cards other than in my daily use phones. But if a dash cam had WiFi it would be useful only to they could connect wirelessly to my home WiFi system for updates to their software or firmware. People have to pay for bandwidth to store videos so would not do it without a fee.

But I have not seen WiFi dash cams. Just WiFi home security cameras do that as a primary functions like my Ring security Cams.

If you do find one make sure you secure it with a good password.

[Dutch_12078]

1 hour ago, RV_ said:

No simply put. Dash cams are not usually where you can access WiFi. They use USB Flash drives like my Tesla or Micro SD Cards.

Having said that if your vehicle is always connected like mine it is possible. I have a couple of old phones I thought about playing with to make them dash cams recording in a loop. They would not be connected because of no Sim cards other than in my daily use phones. But if a dash cam had WiFi it would be useful only to they could connect wirelessly to my home WiFi system for updates to their software or firmware. People have to pay for bandwidth to store videos so would not do it without a fee.

But I have not seen WiFi dash cams. Just WiFi home security cameras do that as a primary functions like my Ring security Cams.

If you do find one make sure you secure it with a good password.

Lots of them to pick from:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wifi+dash+cam&crid=2SDS0ZBPYRI2E&sprefix=wifi+dash+cam%2Caps%2C200&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Edited May 28, 2023 by Dutch_12078

[RV_]

Yep but like I said the WiFi ones are not going to be invading privacy unless you let them by both having a car with WiFi built in like mine, and allowing it to connect either via your car or your phone.

Again, I see no need for WiFi in a dash cam because if you're in a wreck you are there and loop recordings on flash drives or SD cards will catch it. If one does want to observe their car when parked and they are not in it those systems Dutch pointed to will serve. I have been out of it for three years and they have come a very long way.

If one wants to connect with a DashCam by all means do you. 😉☺️

Edited May 28, 2023 by RV_

[Dutch_12078]

If there's WiFi available where you park your car, some of the WiFi enabled dash cams can be accessed remotely or can alert you remotely to motion similar to residential or business security cameras.

[Deezl Smoke]

 Again, I'm not very savvy on modern tech, but there are several dashcams that allow wifi viewing on your phone and have apps that allow instant download to your phone so you can upload to the www.

 I'm not concerned really as I am old enough and learned many years ago, that not only is being on the public road a privilege, not a right, but that there really is just no reason to do illegal things when on the road or in public. It don't matter if one thinks that what is illegal is stupid, it is illegal and should not be practiced. Not in public anyway.

My question came about after reading a comment that there are camera makers that have contracts with governing agencies, likely for selling cameras for things like police or mass transit etc., that purposefully make their cameras broadcast, via whatever means, wifi or bluetooth, or whatever now days, so that these "agencies" can view them and record the footage with any recording device they have at any time they are in range or just wish to have that footage. ?? I have not idea if that is possible, but it made me wonder with all of the other public monitoring. So that's why I ask.

 Today we have electronic wizards that can do amazing things. They exist on both sides of the fence, for good and for bad.

 

[agesilaus]

 

The size of video files makes it very unlikely that someone is watching all dashcams. The NSA is reported to be listening in on every phone call by having their computers listen for keywords. To do that they have warehouse sized buildings around the country that are filled with supercomputer mainframes. This is a huge undertaking and vastly expensive so that only a government could fund it.

That is for audio files which are tiny compared with video files. A MB or smaller while video is hundreds of MB.

Now these dashcams will have passwords, change that to a long, at least 16 character pw with numbers and upper chars like !.  It does not need to be a incomprehensible string readable is good like: My l0ng password!!

That is just about impossible to crack

Do the same for all your important pw.

[RV_]

5 hours ago, agesilaus said:

Now these dashcams will have passwords, change that to a long, at least 16 character pw with numbers and upper chars like !.  It does not need to be a incomprehensible string readable is good like: My l0ng password!!

That is just about impossible to crack

Do the same for all your important pw.

Even better when the words do not go together like:

snaillightningd0nut!

[essarebee]

I've heard of baby monitors, and wireless door locks with cameras that sent video without consent.  There are differences in these devices but I believe it is possible.  Equipped vehicles can communicate wirelessly - as an example, the doors can be unlocked remotely, system software can be updated, engines can be stopped or started.  Vehicles can have wifi.

[agesilaus]

2 hours ago, RV_ said:

Even better when the words do not go together like:

snaillightningd0nut!

I'm no black hat but I believer that the crackers  work by brute force methods and just cycle thru every possible combination of characters. They are not looking for words. That's why long pw are more secure the number of characters exceed their capability taking too long to try every combination..

[RV_]

1 hour ago, essarebee said:

I've heard of baby monitors, and wireless door locks with cameras that sent video without consent.  There are differences in these devices but I believe it is possible.  Equipped vehicles can communicate wirelessly - as an example, the doors can be unlocked remotely, system software can be updated, engines can be stopped or started.  Vehicles can have wifi.

Vehicles can have cellular connections they pay for that connect just like your phone or uses your phone to connect like Android auto. Vehicles can have a Wifi Hotspot from your phone or the cellular car connection if so equipped. You will need a subscription to that service.

Excerpt:

"How In-Car Internet Works

Getting Wi-Fi in your car is similar to using Wi-Fi at home, and you connect the same way with a Wi-Fi name and password. The only difference is your car uses a cellular signal like your smartphone. Homes have an internet receiver that transmits to nearby devices through a router, and a car does the same. So while your house likely uses a dedicated ISP, often with hardwired cables, vehicles connect to the internet through a cellular data connection."

Source with much more:

https://www.reviewgeek.com/110237/is-car-wi-fi-worth-it/#:~:text=The only difference is your car uses a,to the internet through a cellular data connection.

[RV_]

4 hours ago, agesilaus said:

I'm no black hat but I believer that the crackers  work by brute force methods and just cycle thru every possible combination of characters. They are not looking for words. That's why long pw are more secure the number of characters exceed their capability taking too long to try every combination..

Excerpt:

Yes longer is better but soon quantum computers and AI may make passwords of any length breakable quickly.

But until that comes to pass I am not disagreeing with that. But I do use the random words outlined here:

"The 4 Random Words Method

One of the simplest yet most effective strong password ideas is to throw 4 or more seemingly random words together. Just make sure that:

• The password is at least 12 characters long.
• The words do not have any natural flow to them (such as My Name Is Steven).
• You separate words with either spaces, punctuation, or special symbols.

Some examples of these passwords (and how to remember them) include:

• Phoenix Drive Cafe Office ("I work in Phoenix and drive by a cafe every day on my way to the office").
• Seattle, Kindle, Coffee, Planes ("Seattle is the birthplace of Amazon, Starbucks, and Boeing").
• Minnesota Airplane Boston Christmas ("I live in Minnesota but fly back home to Boston every Christmas").

The time needed to crack the Phoenix Drive Cafe Office password: 2 million years"

The article that is from shows there is more than one way to skin a cat, including yours here:

https://phoenixnap.com/blog/strong-great-password-ideas

Safe Travels!

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by RV_

[bruce t]

If you have no connections, ie cell phone or Wi-Fi turned on in your vehicle, how does your navigation work?

Just saying. If your vehicle knows where it is then what other devices are also working without your input?

I have no idea. Just posing a question.

 

[Deezl Smoke]

1 hour ago, bruce t said:

If you have no connections, ie cell phone or Wi-Fi turned on in your vehicle, how does your navigation work?

Just saying. If your vehicle knows where it is then what other devices are also working without your input?

I have no idea. Just posing a question.

 

 Legit.👍

 Buy a new monitor for your computer and see how many people look for the cameras and put tape over them.

 People can think whatever they want about Edward Snowden, but he does bring even interesting details like making sure all of the batteries are out of his phone etc......

 I have a few of the dashcams that Harbor Freight used to sell, and they work great. I wish they still sold them, or that I could get more as I am used to running them. Outlook I think was the brand on the box.

 I'll still buy the dashcam(s) even if it has wifi or whatever. I'm just a blue collar farm worker and pose no threat to anyone, much less a government agency. I have far, far better things to do than break the law. But I live here in Hillsboro Oregon, home if Intel, and within any trip to town for parts, I go by at least one "data center". There are several data centers here. They don't even try to disguise them anymore. Huge buildings with just one bay door and a couple man doors.

[Jaydrvr]

2 hours ago, bruce t said:

If you have no connections, ie cell phone or Wi-Fi turned on in your vehicle, how does your navigation work?

Just saying. If your vehicle knows where it is then what other devices are also working without your input?

I have no idea. Just posing a question.

 

Many navigation devices are freestanding and have all the data needed internally to decode the satellite signals for navigation. No internet connection needed. If you navigate with your phone, it uses its internal cell signal connection for data. Usually the phone isn't used as a hot spot to share the data signal inside the vehicle, so the dashcam wouldn't have an internet connection. Many newer vehicles do have an internal hot spot option available though, if one cares to subscribe to that. Jay

[lappir]

I have a couple with WiFi capabilities and use one of them that way. If it's just a camera with a card and you only view the info on the card while not connected to an internet source I feel I'm safe. Not sure how you will feel though. 

 

Rod

[essarebee]

Some devices can and do circumvent passwords to access wifi or even a cell phone signal, without the owners knowledge.  The brute force crackers can work in seconds or less, everything can be hacked or accessed.  It is only a matter of how valuable the information is.  Some devices are constantly looking for unsecured wifi (there are plenty) and when connected to one, information is passed on to someone or some computer.  This is why it is nuts to do banking via cellphone on public wifi.  The popular doorlock/camera that was sending video to local law enforcement was doing so with owners unaware.  Governmental systems are notorious for being hacked.  Rental cars can have internet service without drivers knowledge.  And Bluetooth can be hacked easily.  There are devices that look for a nearby fob being activated and capture the code to enter a vehicle, start, disable, etc.  A dashcam wouldn't be the highest priority for stealing content, but it can happen.

[RV_]

7 hours ago, bruce t said:

If you have no connections, ie cell phone or Wi-Fi turned on in your vehicle, how does your navigation work?

Just saying. If your vehicle knows where it is then what other devices are also working without your input?

I have no idea. Just posing a question.

 

Bruce,we are talking about DashCams that record in a loop usually saved to a card in the camera to record accidents and anything one might want to save.

However navigation is entirely possible using GPS only, using GPS satellites. But only on a navigation device like a phone or GPS. Usually not a dash cam.

We are not discussing navigation head units which we did discuss in another thread here. But navigation is done with GPS satellites, not Internet.

Today I would buy a car only with navigation and dashcams built in. Mine has eight external cameras and one inside the cabin.

In reading some of the WiFi equipped Dashcams I can see no use I would put it to.

Excerpt:

"The Wi-Fi feature allows a smartphone to be paired to the dash cams. Unlike a regular Wi-Fi network signal that gives you internet access, the purpose here is just to connect the dash cam and smartphone together. Once connected and the dash cam’s app is opened, you can view, download footage and change settings straight from the app."

https://www.blackboxmycar.com/pages/gps-wifi#:~:text=The Wi-Fi feature allows a smartphone to be,footage and change settings straight from the app.

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by RV_

[essarebee]

Just to clarify, the OP posted about any dashcam - saved to storage or sent wirelessly, or both.  Or saved to a card and sent wirelessly without the feature being documented.

[bruce t]

Huawei. Ask yourself why this Chinese company is being watched very very carefully. Ask yourself about CCTV devices. 

The reality is that nowadays no one knows who is watching who. No one realy knows what devices are even connected to God knows who or what.

We pay as much as possible with cash. We turn off all devices as soon as we are finished with them. Trust no one.