Is Your Own Car Following You?

What if you were on your Facebook or Google+ page and you suddenly had a new friend, a car? Not just any car from any Disney Pixar movie, I mean your own car, the one in the garage? Don’t laugh, with today’s autonomous features, internet access, smart phone synchronization, and robust computer systems that day is not all that far away. Trust me when I tell you this; such a feature-rich automobile of the future will be a blessing in disguise. Okay so let’s talk shall we?

What if your car realizes that you are making plans based on your social networking updates to go on a trip with your friends for the weekend? Your car might notice that the distance you wish to travel cannot occur because your gas tank is too low. Your car might send you a tweet and ask if it should turn on the garage door opener, drive down to the local gas station, and fill itself up. Your car might also realize that the oil hasn’t been changed and by the time you get back from your trip you will be over the 5000 mile allotment causing challenges with your car’s warranty – remember all that will soon be self-reporting.

Maybe your car noticed that you got up early in the morning, and that you were making too many mistakes while typing, your car might suggest that it drives down through the Starbucks drive-through to get you a latte, and brings it back in the drink holder. Now that would be cool wouldn’t it? Yes it would, but then you must also consider that your car would be following you on all of your social networks, it would know everything that you are doing, and it would have to have this information to assist you with these types of things.

Of course there’s only one problem with that. There was an interesting piece titled; “Will Cars Eventually Need a Do-Not-Track Option?” by Soulskill on Slash-Dot News for Techies, published on February 22, 2013. Will the Federal Trade Commission make it illegal for your car to follow you, to spy on you, or to stalk you on your social networking pages? Besides that, insurance companies are now allowing people to get discounts if they put a device on their car which gives away their driving habits. Who knows how much of that information will be given out or to where?

If your car goes out to get some beer at the local liquor store and comes back, will your ObamaCare healthcare costs go up because you’re drinking too much beer? Will your healthcare costs go up when you drive your car only a few blocks to a nearby park, when you really should’ve walked instead? Are those unhealthy habits when the temperature outside is 75° and perfect weather? What’s wrong with you? Can you see where all of this might get you into trouble the future?