Last week, the German car manufacturer Porsche reportedly immobilized hundreds of cars in Russia using its VTS (source).

They haven’t officially confirmed it yet, but it would be an unbelievable coincidence for so many Porsche vehicles to stop working on the same day—December 1st—and in the same country.

Some say it might have been a software update gone wrong rather than intentional sabotage, but in the end, it doesn’t even matter. What matters is that Porsche appears to be able to shut down your car with the push of a button from a computer on the other side of the planet.

The VTS—Vehicle Tracking System—is connected via satellite and can automatically trigger an engine immobilizer. “All models and all engine types” are reportedly affected.

And that raises the question: what’s stopping the government from using such a system to switch off your vehicle if you haven’t paid enough taxes, or in the name of a climate emergency?

Nothing.

The only way to protect yourself is to buy cars that don’t have a VTS or any other satellite connection.

This whole incident raises a bigger question: why do cars even need an internet connection in the first place? You already have a smartphone that can serve as a navigation system or information device. The only real reason is that manufacturers want our data, and governments want another tool to restrict our freedom.

All these so-called “smart” devices aren’t actually helping users at all. Cars, washing machines, refrigerators—everything now has to be smart and connected, yet barely anything truly improves the user experience.

The future might very well bring a massive demand for “dumb” devices that aren’t connected to anything.