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Today’s cars are equipped with “telematics,” monitoring technology that constantly sends vehicle performance
如今的汽車都配備了“遠程信息處理”，這種監控技術可以不斷地發送車輛性能信息
and maintenance data—and much more—to the manufacturer via a wireless transmitter.
并通過無線發射器向制造商提供維護數據和更多信息。
Cars not only know how much we weigh, but also track how much weight we gain.
汽車不僅知道我們的體重，還能追蹤我們的體重增加了多少。
Connect a phone to a car, and it knows whom we call and text.
把電話連接到汽車上，它就知道我們給誰打電話，給誰發短信。
But who owns and, ultimately, controls the data?
但是誰擁有并最終控制這些數據呢？
Drivers usually sign away their rights in a small-print clause buried in the purchase or lease agreement.
司機們通常會簽下購買或租賃協議，在隱藏的條款中放棄他們的權利。
What carmakers are doing with the collected information isn’t clear.
汽車制造商將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.
我們知道他們用它來提高汽車的性能和安全性，我們也知道他們有能力把它賣給第三方。
And unfortunately, there is no opt-out feature.
不幸的是，沒有退出的條款。
Carmakers use data to alert us when something needs to be repaired or when our vehicles need service.
汽車制造商使用數據來提醒我們什么東西需要修理，或者什么時候我們的汽車需要服務。
What they don’t tell us is that by controlling our data, they can limit where we get that repair or service done.
他們沒有告訴我們的是，通過控制我們的數據，他們可以限制我們進行維修或服務的地方。
And they are more likely to share our data exclusively with their branded dealerships than with independent repair shops.
他們更有可能與他們的品牌經銷商獨家分享我們的數據，而不是與獨立的維修店。
Imagine visiting a medical specialist and learning he or she can’t access the medical history your doctor maintains.
想象一下，你去拜訪一位醫學專家，卻發現他或她無法訪問你的醫生保留的病史。
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.
修理店需要汽車制造商的數據來提供維修服務。很容易想象，向修理店收取費用會導致更高的維修價格。
Because of the data’s estimated value—as high as $750 billion by 2030— carmakers have no incentive to release their control.
由于這些數據的估算價值——到2030年將高達7500億美元——汽車制造商沒有動力放松對汽車的控制。
Policy makers, however, have the opportunity to give drivers control.
然而，政策制定者有機會將控制權交給司機。
This will let car owners maintain what they’ve had for a century: the right to decide who fixes their car.
這將讓車主們保留他們擁有了一個世紀的權利：決定由誰來修理他們的汽車。
