The Tech They Don't Want You to See (S5) S36

August 29, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In late August 2026, Acura sent John Morley an email informing him that three features of his vehicle's app—geofence alert, speed alert, and activity alert—would be removed on September 23rd. The stated reason was to "simplify the app experience." Morley calls this "hogwash." He points to an active class action lawsuit against American Honda (McDougall v. American Honda Motor Company, currently on appeal in the Ninth Circuit) involving privacy and vehicle data collection. While he cannot confirm the lawsuit is the direct cause, the timing is suspicious. The incident illustrates a broader reality: when a car's features depend on cloud services, the manufacturer can change or remove them after purchase. Consumers need to understand what data their vehicle collects, where it goes, and which capabilities can be altered remotely.

Automated decisions and lost accountability

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What you'll learn

1 (03:28) **Acura App Feature Removal** - Acura is removing parental control features from its app, raising questions about software ownership and privacy.
2 (07:57) **AI Suspending Uber Drivers** - Automated AI systems are suspending Uber drivers in the Netherlands, raising concerns about accountability and human oversight.
3 (10:28) **Revivable Expired Credit Cards** - Researchers have shown that some expired contactless credit cards can potentially still be used for unauthorized transactions.
4 (13:41) **Tesla and Massive China Recall** - A recall of nearly 3 million vehicles in China, including Teslas, over emergency door release systems highlights the risks of replacing mechanical controls with electrical ones.
5 (15:04) **Meta's Hardware Kill Switch Patent** - Meta has patented a hardware-based privacy switch for smart glasses, a potential improvement over software-only camera controls.
6 (17:14) **Oura Sleep Tracker Accuracy Lawsuit** - Oura is facing allegations in a lawsuit regarding the accuracy of its sleep tracking, underscoring the limits of wearable technology.
7 (19:54) **Flock Safety and License Plate Surveillance** - Flock Safety's license plate readers raise serious questions about surveillance, data retention, and potential misuse by law enforcement.

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Show Notes

Tech They Don't Want You to See : Weekly Roundup, Aug 24–30, 2026

Every week, tech companies make decisions and hope nobody notices. This week, we're noticing.

Acura quietly killed three features from their car app right after eating a $632,000 fine from California over driving data, and there's still an active investigation into whether that data got sold to your insurance company. Meanwhile, Uber got hit with a $966 million fine in the Netherlands for letting algorithms suspend drivers with no human in the loop, raising the bigger question: should AI ever have the final word over your paycheck?

We're also digging into Tesla's recall of roughly 3 million vehicles in China over door handle and driver monitoring issues, proof that even the most basic car functions are now software problems. Visa researchers found a way to potentially revive expired credit cards, and Meta just filed a patent for a hardware level privacy switch on smart glasses, a real kill switch software can't override.

Then there's the trust question hitting your nightstand: Oura is facing a lawsuit over whether its sleep tracking numbers are even accurate. And Flock Safety's license plate cameras are sparking a nationwide debate over where public safety ends and mass surveillance begins.

Plus, bonus stories on Windows 11 gaming issues tied to RGB lighting, Harvard's AI avatar instructors, Amazon's push for drone delivery in 500 cities, Google's new $29 tracker gunning for AirTag, what your printer actually logs about you, whether "incognito" browsing really hides anything, and how your phone number can be stolen without anyone touching your phone.

Companies hope you scroll past. We're not letting you.