[sneak]

The inability to receive future (prepaid) self-driving software updates on a Tesla if I remove the GSM interface to prevent corporate tracking my driving movement 24/7 is the main reason I am likely never going to buy a new one.

This sort of rent-seeking is really terrible.

[duskwuff]

Is there something I'm missing here, or are you really complaining that your car can't download updates after you disabled its network interface?

[sneak]

Any modification to the car’s surveillance systems means that the company will no longer service your vehicle.

If you prepay for an update, but modify the car to not track you, it is my understanding that, network or no, it will not receive any service (including updates) from Tesla.

[m463]

Not that I don't think the trend is terrible, but isn't rent-seeking when you charge extra for something but make no discernible improvements?

[sneak]

The cars in TFA ship with the hardware to do things like lane assist and heated steering wheels. The functionality is already there. They are charging subscription fees to flip an enable bit in software.

Correspondingly, they remotely disable functionality in your vehicle if you stop paying them.

I'm not sure of a better example of rent seeking.

[usefulcat]

Presumably if it’s not being used then it also doesn’t have to ever be fixed (either by the owner or the manufacturer).