For the latest incarnations of vehicles, "Always-On" is always-on, even when the vehicle is not running and unattended. As noted the communications subsystem has its own literal smartphone and battery. Which was my point on surveillance and data collection. The "3rd-parties" will use that data to identify you and monetize your behavior. As already implemented prices can be adjusted based on your previous history and location. Argh.
I will differ on most ODBII vehicles equipped with navigation. Those vehicles did not have 2-way comm so had no way to upload your data. Now, they may access basic metrics during dealer visits but no where near what JLR has enabled with their partnership with Blackberry and Amazon. Wouldn't be surprised to read they are listening to all your conversations, ala Alexa. In addition cloud connectivity / virtualization is not secure.
JLR has definitely jumped into the technology race with all feet and hands. We knew that when the made mechanical design teams redundant and added IT teams. On one hand this makes diagnostics/support by the dealer more seamless in that they have access to your vehicle 24/7/365 where ever you are. The downside is that the complexity of the overall product just jumped and likely precludes the owner from performing maintenance. In fact that 'maintenance' can now be monitored by JLR. Long term you remain tethered to JLR as a revenue stream.
Edit add: Yup, Pivi Pro includes voice activation/listening to your conversations.
But in Tesla's this is somehow a beneficial feature. Your smartphone has been doing it for years.
As someone who works in "big data" (I hate that term) and adjacent communications fields, here is the only comfort I can offer:
Every internet connected voice activated device is listening to its environment all the time. You go to airports, and there are signs stating, "this premises under constant video and audio surveillance." Every smartphone everywhere can very simply be remotely converted into a listening device, even when it is "off," unless you have one where you can still remove the battery, so you are under constant "surveillance." Your work computer is likely also being surveilled in that every action you take is available for review when desired. You implicitly consent to monitoring simply by using it.
But here's the thing. The millions of smartphones and vehicles and potted plants at airports and all the other things that are recording you literally all the time, are adding your personal information into a massive data ocean, on which you bob like a tiny cork. Or if you like, your data is one needle being dumped into a massive warehouse of needles. For those concerned about the surveillance state, well, be content that for now, for some entity to target you specifically, they need to a) have a reason to target you specifically, and b) have the means to access and then analyze that data ocean for your characteristics personally. Right now, governments (at least free Western governments) have both laws that prevent this and a lack of funding to do it even if laws permitted. Far from being anonymized, you're more like a zebra in a herd of zebras, your stripes are unique but amongst the constantly moving background of other zebras, it's all black and white to a predator. We can get into all the conspiracy theories and what-ifs about collecting broad information about certain groups of "undesirables" - or, "deplorables" if you prefer, but I'd prefer not to, because that's what the 2nd Amendment is for in the US and there's another thread on this forum and many others for that.
At least JLR is recognizing that the information they can collect is *your* information, and by agreeing to allow you to sell it to them for real money, then they imply they are *not* selling it without your consent. This would actually support California opt-in laws and others that are coming, which require companies who want your data to ask you to opt in rather than opt out.
If you still don't like it, don't have a cell phone, don't have internet service, and pull the SIM cards from your Defender. And make sure you have lots of tin foil for hats.
What I will say, is that much like the continuous monitoring of modern aircraft jet engines in flight, monitoring vehicle telematics in real time will lead to more reliable vehicles, because automakers will get better information than your badly-imitated "skreeeeEEEEETHONK" sound you use to tell your service advisor what happened that time all the warning lights came on and then disappeared after you pulled over and restarted your engine, which they "investigate" and tell you they couldn't reproduce the problem, and charge you a $100 diagnostic fee.
This is also paving the way for V2X connectivity, where vehicles and infrastructure are sharing information about their status with each other to allow for better traffic management, including avoiding deadly pileups like they had in Pennsylvania last week.
So, hot tip: invest in anything related to 5G, low-earth orbit satellite communication, and V2X connectivity, because that is our collective future, at least until the next mega-solar flare nukes our entire electrical and data grid worldwide, sending us back to the Stone age.
