读者文摘:互联网时代如何保护隐私(4)

Today’s cars are equipped with “telematics,” monitoring technology that constantly sends vehicle performance

如今的汽车都配备了“远程信息处理”，这种监控技术可以不断地发送车辆性能信息

and maintenance data—and much more—to the manufacturer via a wireless¹ transmitter.

并通过无线发射器向制造商提供维护数据和更多信息。

Cars not only know how much we weigh, but also track how much weight we gain.

汽车不仅知道我们的体重，还能追踪我们的体重增加了多少。

Connect a phone to a car, and it knows whom we call and text.

把电话连接到汽车上，它就知道我们给谁打电话，给谁发短信。

But who owns and, ultimately, controls the data?

但是谁拥有并最终控制这些数据呢？

Drivers usually sign away their rights in a small-print clause buried in the purchase or lease agreement.

司机们通常会签下购买或租赁协议，在隐藏的条款中放弃他们的权利。

What carmakers are doing with the collected information isn’t clear.

汽车制造商将如何利用收集到的信息尚不清楚。

We know they use it to improve car performance and safety, and we know they have the ability to sell it to third parties.

我们知道他们用它来提高汽车的性能和安全性，我们也知道他们有能力把它卖给第三方。

And unfortunately, there is no opt-out feature.

不幸的是，没有退出的条款。

Carmakers use data to alert us when something needs to be repaired or when our vehicles need service.

汽车制造商使用数据来提醒我们什么东西需要修理，或者什么时候我们的汽车需要服务。

What they don’t tell us is that by controlling our data, they can limit where we get that repair or service done.

他们没有告诉我们的是，通过控制我们的数据，他们可以限制我们进行维修或服务的地方。

And they are more likely to share our data exclusively with their branded dealerships than with independent repair shops.

他们更有可能与他们的品牌经销商独家分享我们的数据，而不是与独立的维修店。

Imagine visiting a medical specialist and learning he or she can’t access the medical history your doctor maintains.

想象一下，你去拜访一位医学专家，却发现他或她无法访问你的医生保留的病史。

It’s easy to imagine carmakers charging fees to independent repair shops that need your data to service your vehicle, leading to higher repair prices.

修理店需要汽车制造商的数据来提供维修服务。很容易想象，向修理店收取费用会导致更高的维修价格。

Because of the data’s estimated value—as high as $750 billion by 2030— carmakers have no incentive³ to release their control.

由于这些数据的估算价值——到2030年将高达7500亿美元——汽车制造商没有动力放松对汽车的控制。

Policy makers², however, have the opportunity to give drivers control.

然而，政策制定者有机会将控制权交给司机。

This will let car owners maintain what they’ve had for a century: the right to decide who fixes their car.

这将让车主们保留他们拥有了一个世纪的权利：决定由谁来修理他们的汽车。

1 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

2 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。