All these "unintentional" tracking devices begin to look intentional.
this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2026
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O no. And this whole time I've been mailing my phone to my destination every time I have to drive somewhere so they can't track me!
The bastards!
My Wi-Fi also logs all the cars that pass that have built in WiFi. Kind of crazy how many ways cars can be tracked.
Wait till you see how many Bluetooth devices still do this. Or better yet, Ant+.
Your car has a series of numbers and letters on the back of it that are unique to the vehicle, and can be used to track you as well. There are even automated cameras that can do this.
Tracking a vehicle is easy, and always has been.
However, the researchers found that these tire sensors also send a unique ID number in clear, unencrypted wireless signals, meaning that anyone nearby with a simple radio receiver can capture the signal, and recognize the same car again later
Its not quite the same ball game. Sure its not great that the government can track easily with ALPRs, but this type of tracking is available to nearly anyone and could be used for significant crimes like stalking or human trafficking. It can also be done without a sightline of the car, unlike a camera system.
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Jokes on them, those tire pressure sensors are the first thing I don't replace. I just visually check my tires and put a pressure gauge on them if they look suspect.
As someone who has gotten a flat and not noticed until the tire was destroyed multiple times, I love TPMS systems. They save me money in the long run as the tire can be patched instead of replaced.
How can you not feel it driving? That is kind of scary that you are that absent minded while driving.
Or just replace your tyres with ones with non sensor.
That said it is a little annoying. My dash is forever telling me it can't talk to the tyres.
License Plates, Vin Numbers clearly available on the dash, Tire Sensors, Bluetooth MAC, WIFI MAC, Cellular IDs for most even if you don't pay for the service.
It's an interesting thing to point out, but we're mostly driving around with much higher power sensors than the pressure sensors.
So far I have had success in getting my new car unable to blast out all sorts of uniquely identifiable RF except for this TPMS thing. Does anyone have suggestions on how to deal with this one? Is there maybe a specific brand of sensors that doesn't send out beacons like this once already paired?
Not to mention the cell phone most of us carry.
Theres a spy device in your pocket.
Dude, my car has GPS and a 4G internet connection as well as my android phone and my work required iPhone ... In a world like this, Tyre sensors are probably not required to track me.
On the other hand, my 21 year old vehicle has none of it, and my GrapheneOS phone isn't tracking me either. We didn't all just give up like you did.
Maybe I should've paid >10.000 in spares plus labour for a car I originally spend 21.000 for 8 years ago to buy diesel for for about 2€ per liter rather than switching to an ev for the privilege of ne being tracked rather than "giving up".
I assume your old vehicle also doesn't have any type pressure sensors?
I spoke with my landlord about removing power to the home security cameras, because they were Ring. He obliged my request, but I later discovered that he (in private) regards my preference as that of a rebellious teenager in need of a cause. I had to let that sink in… I’m a rebel without a cause because I don’t sip from the same koolaid as he does. Wow.
Does your GrapheneOS phone have a SIM? Because if so, the cell towers are collecting and storing your location.
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I’m tired, boss.
Exhausted.
Me too.
Hey, that's my line.
Your license plate can also be used to track you
They mention this in the article. The difference is that since the tire sensor sends out an RF signal, direct line of sight isn't necessary. You could throw a tracker up on a roof and grab signals from a block over.
The missing part may be tying that signal to a specific car, but say your car gets pulled over - they could read your tires' sensor ID and compare it to where they captured it and bam! Now you're fucked.
You are correct, the only thing worth mentioning is when the laws were created/written it did not account for someone creating a database that is easily searchable/queried to infer all these extra habits of people.
Its one thing visually seeing someone over and over walk or drive by your house while you sit on your porch. It's another thing to now know where they came from and where they went if you were able to sit on every porch at the same time in a town or city.
This is why police tails need to be granted by a judge, but a interconnected network of cameras at the moment does not recieve the same scrutiny.
I think part of why the cameras don't have such scrutiny is the city often has signs stating they use the cameras and will list their locations. This gives a somewhat implied consent from the driver, idk if it holds up in court but its similar to a sign at a store saying you're on CCTV. The sign doesn't say the CCTV could be used to track and monitor you but its implied.
True, though CCTV or Closed Circuit Television used to be "fully local" and "closed". Tapes and recordings were only available or accessible to the property or person in most situations being recorded over older recordings.
Newer tech now is interconnected with companies trying to infer extra information from full databases of recordings from multiple different locations all around a town or city, or state.
CCTV used to be like a security guard sitting on a lawn chair. Where modern security cameras/systems are like having a personal tail following you all day and night.
They discovered a thing that everyone's known forever. Here's Bruce Schneier in 2008
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/04/tracking_vehicl.html
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