This is a fact! Automakers want to control what you hear in your car. First, it was AM radio now it’s FM radio. Imagine starting your car and realizing that what you can hear—or can’t hear—has already been decided for you. The same tech giants that censor your posts, curate your newsfeeds, and impact your online experience now want to control what plays through your vehicle dashboard. Last week, Tesla confirmed it will remove FM radio from its base Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Just days later, General Motors doubled down on plans to eliminate Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, opting instead for proprietary systems designed with Big Tech partners. Individually, these sound like technical upgrades. But together, they represent a fundamental shift: control of the car is shifting from drivers to corporations. We’ve seen this before in our social media feeds, search results, and app stores. Now, the same algorithms and corporate interests that decide what you see and hear online are coming for your radio dial. That future isn’t hypothetical—it’s already idling in the driveway.
Automakers Want to Control What You Hear in Your Car
