Jeep seeks to halt sales slide with new ads
The ads are being launched as Jeep strives to avoid a fifth consecutive year of declining U.S. sales.
Carmakers are failing the privacy test. Owners have little or no control over data collected
By FRANK BAJAK (AP Technology Writer)
BOSTON (AP) — Most major car manufacturers admit they may be selling your personal information — though they are vague on the buyers, a new study finds, and half say they would share it with the government or law enforcement without a court order.
The proliferation of sensors in automobiles — from telematics to fully digitized control consoles — has made them prodigious data-collection hubs.
But drivers are given little or no control over the personal data their vehicles collect, researchers for the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation said Wednesday in their latest “Privacy Not Included” survey. Security standards are also vague, a big concern given automakers’ track record of susceptibility to hacking.
“Cars seem to have really flown under the privacy radar and I’m really hoping that we can help remedy that because they are truly awful,” said Jen Caltrider, the study’s research lead. “Cars have microphones and people have all kinds of sensitive conversations in them. Cars have cameras that face inward and outward.”
UAW chief: Union to strike any Detroit automaker that hasn’t reached deal as contracts end next week
By TOM KRISHER (AP Auto Writer)
DETROIT (AP) — The head of the United Auto Workers warned Wednesday that the union plans to go on strike against any Detroit automaker that hasn’t reached a new agreement by the time contracts expire next week.
“That’s the plan,” President Shawn Fain responded when asked if the union would strike any of the companies that haven’t reached a tentative deal by the time their national contracts end.
A strike against all three major automakers — General Motors, Stellantis and Ford — could cause damage not only to the industry as a whole but also to the Midwest and even national economy, depending on how long it lasted. The auto industry accounts for about 3% of the nation’s economic output. A prolonged strike could also lead eventually to higher vehicle prices.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Fain left open the possibility of avoiding a strike. He acknowledged, more explicitly than he has before, that the union will have to give up some of its demands to reach agreements. Contracts with the three companies will all expire at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14.
Tampa restaurant posts ‘dine and dash’ culprits on Facebook
TAMPA — As the second-generation owner of Rick’s on the River, Ken Brackins, who grew up at the restaurant, said it is easy to spot someone who plans to “dine and dash,” the act of leaving without paying.
They typically plan a quick getaway in advance — parking near the lot exit and sitting close to the exit of the establishment on the Hillsborough River, just north of downtown Tampa.
But, even then, it’s difficult for the staff to keep a constant eye on potential thieves, especially when busy.
So, two years ago, Brackins installed 16 security cameras outside the restaurant and, on Facebook, began posting closeup footage that he says shows diners dashing.
He has two missions in doing so: to get help identifying the alleged thief and to deter others from ripping off his business.
“You’re going to get caught,” Brackins said. “And then you are going to pay me.”
Brackins also wants to make such people famous. Or infamous.
The deterrent system has morphed over the past two years to its current iteration, which has Brackins’ staff edit the security video into short films of sorts meant to embarrass the accused.
How to avoid the top text message scam putting your cash at risk
By Ruth Sarreal | NerdWallet
The Federal Trade Commission recently revealed the most reported text message scam: bank impersonations.
Reports of bank impersonations by text in 2022 jumped to 20 times the number reported in 2019. According to the FTC, consumers reported a loss of more than $330 million to text message scams in 2022. And cash that’s lost because of bank fraud or scams isn’t covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. or National Credit Union Administration.
Banks are a safe place to keep your money, but there are still a few basic but important precautions you can take to ensure you don’t fall for a bank-impersonation text scam. Here’s how to protect your money from text message scams impersonating your financial institution.
» LEARN: How to stay safe from financial scams
Don’t make money moves under pressure
Text message scammers will try to make you feel like action is required immediately — at the risk of losing your money. It may come as an urgent message warning you to call or click on a link because of alleged suspicious activity.