Just when you thought your Ford was only good for getting from point A to point B, the iconic car company now wants it to be a rolling surveillance machine. That’s right, according to American Military News, Ford has filed a patent for “Systems and Methods for Detecting Speeding Violations,” a fancy name for a car that acts like your overbearing aunt, constantly watching your every move and calling the cops if you step out of line. Since when did corporations sign up to be the government’s unpaid interns?
Smile, you’re on candid camera (and GPS and God knows what else)
This isn’t just some rumor floating around social media either. According to CBT News, Ford’s new technology plans to equip future vehicles with sensors that detect speeding, snap a picture of the offending car, collect its GPS data, and then send all this juicy info straight to law enforcement – without a warrant or even a request.
Who needs speed cameras when your own car is ready to rat you out at every opportunity? And how many times are you going to get a speeding ticket in a day? Five? Maybe ten? Can you afford that?
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And don’t think you’re safe just because you’re driving another brand. Ford’s dream car would even monitor the cars around it. If someone’s speeding, Ford’s future car will happily snitch on them too. It’s like having that one coworker who lives to tell the boss every time you take a 31-minute lunch break.
Selling out our freedom: The great American pastime.
Naturally, the internet had a lot to say. One outraged social media user likened Ford’s new venture to the downward spiral seen in companies like John Deere and Bud Light, companies that, according to public perception, have lost touch with their customers in their relentless pursuit of something else – whatever that “something else” may be. Meanwhile, another commentator hit the nail on the head by pointing out that Ford’s latest move reeks of selling out our freedoms.
From trusted brand to neighborhood nark with the Snitchmobile.
Sure, speed cameras and red-light cameras have been around for a while, but Ford’s proposal takes it up a notch – straight into “Big Brother” territory. Imagine your car not only spying on your every move but also making sure it gets you in trouble for it. And everyone else around you.
And it’s not just the cops Ford wants to cozy up to. According to reports, Ford and other auto manufacturers have previously sold driver data to insurance companies, who then use it to jack up rates based on driving habits.
If this patent gets approved, we might all be forced to rethink our relationship with our vehicles. Especially any vehicles with a Ford logo. Because, let’s face it, no one wants a car that doubles as a hall monitor, making sure you stick to the rules of the road – or else. Ford’s looking at you, waiting for your next slip-up. And now, thanks to this new technology, it won’t miss a thing.
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