Ford just filed a patent for a truck that monitors your face, your eyes, your emotions, and your “fitness to drive”, and won’t let you use it if the AI thinks you’re not calm enough. You pay for it. You have the title. But Ford decides if you actually get to drive it. Live feeds to insurance companies. Biometric scans running against criminal databases. Microphones capturing every conversation.

This is what happens when the DADSS precedent (mandatory car monitoring for drunk driving) opens the door for scope creep. Manufacturers aren’t waiting for public debate. They’re filing patents and building the infrastructure right now.

In this episode of The Long Game, we break down Ford’s specific patent claims, explore what the monitoring system actually does, and explain why this matters for ownership, disability access, privacy, and your future. This is the second domino. And it’s already falling.

📌 Sources & Further Reading:

Ford Patent US20240249706A1 — patents.google.com/patent/US20240249706A1 Right to Repair Movement & Control — eff.org/deeplinks/2023/04/right-repair-movement-and-threat-right-manipulate John Deere Right to Repair Fight — eff.org/news/right-repair-fight-expanding Facial Recognition Bias Study — nytimes.com/2018/02/09/technology/facial-recognition-race-bias.html BMW Heated Seats Subscription — theverge.com/2022/7/12/23211500/bmw-subscription-fee-heated-seats-us-plans