By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 25/07/2026Miss a payment and this secondary stereo turns itself on and starts playing earsplitting threats about what will happen to you if you don't pay up. The only way to turn it off is to make the payment. 35/ 1231
By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 25/07/2026The next step is remote immobilization: miss too many payments (or violate a lease clause by crossing the county line) and your car just stops working: archive.nytimes.com/dealbook.nyt... But the apex of this usury-tech comes from (where else?) Tesla. 36/archive.nytimes.comMiss a Payment? Good Luck Moving That CarSubprime lenders are increasingly relying on technology that allows them to track and disable delinquent borrowers’ vehicles with just a tap of a cellphone app. 1284
By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 25/07/2026Miss a Tesla payment and your car can do way more than just immobilize itself and tell the dealer where to get the car - it also unlock its doors, flash its lights, honk its horn, and back out of its parking space when the repo man arrives: tiremeetsroad.com/2021/03/18/t... 37/tiremeetsroad.comTesla allegedly remotely unlocks Model 3 owner's car, uses smart summon to help repo agent - Alt Car newsTesla remotely activated smart summon, locate, and unlock to help a repo agent reposess a car after an owner fell behind on payments. 35022
