Social Networking For Cars: As Creepy As It Sounds

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

BUMP.com: Who BUMPed Me? from BUMP on Vimeo.

Cars may be battling with communication technology for the hearts and minds of the youth, but at least we’ve got a handle on the downsides of our internal-combustion (or, increasingly, not) friends. Cost, pollution, risk and overall coolness deficits can, given a responsive industry, be battled. On the other hand, we’re only just learning about the endless creepiness that comes from limitless connectivity (stop me when I start sounding like someone who just enjoyed a week away from the internet). Take, for example, the latest attempt to fuse social media with cars: Bump.

Giving voice to the attitude that is currently driving cars out of favor with the young, Bump.com’s “About Us” section states that

BUMP was born in August 2009 when we realized that for many, time spent in the car is wasted time.

Which should be enough to tell you that Bump’s pitch at a “younger, hipper, AAA” is not based on an intrinsic love of cars. Sure, you can “rate” drivers who perform stupid maneuvers like driving off with the gas pump, or alert a fellow motorist that his lights are still on. But more likely, we’re looking at an opportunity to make every commute a chance to be propositioned by a creep in a Grand Cherokee.

Or, of course, to be watched and relentlessly marketed at. Even the most asinine startups gotta make money. As Bump’s founder Mitchell Thrower tells Wired

“It works like a cookie,” said Thrower, except it uses the license plate as a physical marker for a camera that can read up to five plates per second at up to 150 miles per hour. That technology allows for automated check-ins at hotels and sporting events and easy rental car returns, but it also is helpful for marketers. “It can tie back the owner of the vehicle to their purchase patterns,” Thrower said.

The idea being that, as with Facebook, Google, and most other online tools, marketers can eventually track your every move and purchase, and bombard your cellphone with “special offers” targeted at your license plate’s “profile.” It’s a wet dream for the “social media experts,” martketingbots and “post-privacy” lechers that seem to make up such a large percentage of modern society, but it’s a far cry from the freedom, involvement and romance of the road once promised by the automobile. Thanks, but no thanks.


Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Tbp0701 Tbp0701 on Oct 04, 2010

    So, people--especially attractive women--will be even more likely to be tailgated by fairly creepy guys, as said guys try to get a license plate number, enter it into a phone along with a message, then upload it onto a website which will in turn sell that information? That will turn out well.

  • Kendahl Kendahl on Oct 04, 2010

    "for many, time spent in the car is wasted time." What do you mean, "wasted"? It's an opportunity to get into your car and drive. That's not important to you? Then leave the car at home and ride the bus!

  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
  • EBFlex The best gift would have been a huge bonfire of all the fak mustangs in inventory and shutting down the factory that makes them.Heck, nobody would even have to risk life and limb starting the fire, just park em close together and wait for the super environmentally friendly EV fire to commence.
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