I mentioned my reticence about setting up a SYNC account for my Ford truck, inasmuch as I don’t want it using up my phone’s data quota.
The good news, I found out (in the user forum, not in Ford’s FAQ) that the SYNC services make ordinary phone calls to send the reports and such. No data plan is even required. So I started the registration process at SYNCMyRide.com.
The bad news is that I read the SYNC EULA and don’t care to accept the “license” conditions. I’m sure the typical user just clicks the “I Agree” button without reading, but I’m atypical. (Go ahead, take yer best shot.)
Note: It took 38 minutes to read the SYNC service / web site EULA, to which I must agree in order to activate the SYNC functions. That doesn’t include the MS SYNC software license which is incorporated and which I skipped over on the web site because I’d previously spent 20 minutes reading it in my Ford truck owner’s manual. Yes, it’s probably risky to skip it since the on-line EULA may be updated/changed from the Owner’s manual version. I like to live dangerously.
So, 38 minutes for the SYNC EULA, another 20 (previously) for the MS SYNC software EULA and then 16 minutes for the Privacy Policy, which was incorporated by reference. An hour and 14 minutes just to read the Terms and Conditions applicable to using the SYNCMyRide.com web site. And I skipped over the “Don’t text while driving” and such parts. Saved probably another ten minutes.
Below are some excerpts from the SYNC EULA. In most cases below, emphasis was added by me. My comments are in [square brackets.]
Here goes:
You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority, as determined by the laws of your state of residency, to accept these terms and conditions and assume the obligations set forth in these Terms and Conditions. Further, you agree to make all other drivers, passengers or guests of your car aware of these Terms and Conditions and subject to these Terms and Conditions.
[Yowzer! Should I, like, print out copies and have everyone read and sign a copy before they get in my vehicle? Seriously, can these EULAs contain any damned thing at all, no matter how nonsensical?]
There are no subscription or activation fees for Vehicle Health Report. Subscription term is for as long as you own the vehicle. [Ummm… I can’t unsub? Why bother calling it a subscription at all? ]
When you run a Vehicle Health Report, Ford Motor Company may collect your cell phone number (to process your report request) and diagnostic information about your vehicle. Certain versions or updates to Vehicle Health Report may also collect additional [unspecified] vehicle information. Ford may use the vehicle information it collects, as well as information regarding individual access to Vehicle Health Reports at www.SYNCMyRide.com for any purpose.
[“Any purpose” is pretty open ended. Imagine the possibilities: Gather GPS and speed data to determine if you’re exceeding the speed limit on whatever road you’re using. How about showing (Selling!) your location to anyone, anywhere who asks? Now you try it. Go ahead and imagine a clever use of any info about your vehicle. Remember, no “purpose” is off limits. Use your imaginations.]
Vehicle Health Report Accounts, Passwords, and Security
To activate Vehicle Health Report through this Web site, you must register (includes setting up a user name and password) and establish preferences. Registration and preference setting are necessary to allow us to generate your Vehicle Health Report and to communicate with you about it. You are entirely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account information, including your password, and for any and all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to notify Ford immediately of any unauthorized use of your account or password, or any other breach of security. However, you may be held liable for losses incurred by Ford or your dealer due to someone else using your user name, password, cell phone number or account.
By activating or using the Service you expressly agree to the collection, logging, storage, and sharing of your vehicle travel information and other call details for the purposes set forth above in these Terms and Conditions regardless of whether or not you have read them.
[It’s all that vehicle travel data that worries me. This is one of the reasons I was reluctant to get GPS in a vehicle. I can imagine a day when government mandates that all vehicles have GPS and report “travel data” to some official agency, round the clock. “What thing did government ever find in its power, and not eventually try?” — Vin Suprynowicz ]
Ford’s Service provider Tellme Networks, Inc. (“Tellme”), a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, may record and retain user voice utterances (“recorded utterances”), which are recordings of sounds made when the TDI Service is in listen state and waiting for a user command or response. These recorded utterances may include all sounds in the vehicle, including the voice of the user and voices of other vehicle occupants, while the service is in listen state. Tellme may also, at Ford’s request, randomly record and assemble in sequence, all voice communications made from the time the Service is connected (by the user pressing the VOICE button) to the time the Service is disconnected. (“Whole call recordings (WCRs)”). WCRs will include voice utterances and may include any other sounds in the vehicle, including the voices of the user and other vehicle occupants, during the entire time the Service is connected. Both recorded utterances and WCRs may be associated with you or the cell phone number assigned to the Service. Tellme records and retains recorded utterances and WCRs (if Ford requests) for the purpose of improving the performance of voice recognition and to improve the overall design of the user interface. Tellme, Inc. may share recorded utterances and WCRs with Ford for this purpose, and Ford may use them for this purpose.
[So, your vehicle is bugged and anything you and your passengers utter may be shared with others. Well, it’s only for the express purpose of improving the service. We have their word on that. Employees never listen or share things they shouldn’t. It’s not like they can listen in without permission and sell the recordings to a scandal rag. Microsoft’s products are all so secure, after all. ]
By activating or using the Service, you expressly agree to the recording and sharing of your utterances and WCRs as set forth above for the purposes set forth above in these Terms and Conditions regardless of whether or not you have read them. Further, you agree to obtain the consent to record utterances and WCRs from all vehicle occupants and any other person(s) to whom you provide access to and use of the Service via your cell phone. If you don’t consent or wish to disclose this information, do not activate or use the Traffic, Directions and Information Service.
[I do not agree and therefore will not be activating the service.]
From the Privacy Notice:
11. Processing of Personal Data:
By visiting this site and by providing your personally identifiable information to us, you understand and consent to the collection, use, processing, transfer, and disclosure of your personally identifiable and non-personally identifiable information globally — including to the United States – in accordance with this Privacy Statement. Therefore, by visiting this site and by providing such information, you consent to the transfer of such information across country borders, and to the use, processing, and disclosure of such information in global locations. Your consent shall be deemed to include your consent to transfer of the personally identifiable or non-personally identifiable information to locations that may have different levels of privacy protection than in your own country. [Like to their call center in WeSpamistan.]
Oh, I darned near forgot the funniest part. While reading the EULA at the web site, I found evidence that even the lawyers that wrote the EULA don’t really understand it. Near the end of the EULA I found… this.
At this time, it remains to be seen whether or not I can even download updates to the (currently buggy) MS SYNC software in my Ford’s navigation system without signing up for a SYNC account.
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