davew277

Meh... I don't believe the camera is currently in use. If they wanted to record people then they would tell people before they rented anyway, so as to avoid any legal problems. Some people are entirely too paranoid. Maybe because they are doing something against Hertz rules (like smoking) or maybe even doing something illegal...

Of all of the problems with Hertz recently this is the last thing the honest people should be concerned with. If it's a problem for you then by all means stop renting from Hertz. It leaves me with more cars to choose from.

expert7700

here are 2 issues
1) the swith itself, unless it causes the lens to be physically covered, may do nothing at all. Maybe it tells user private mode on while setting up a real time remote video capture.

2) a hack or just plain sloppy coding could cause info from neverlost camera to be posted online. it happened with some online social media (snapchat), apple photo rolls, and even at&t's ipad user/email database.

Say hypothetically hertz sends or a user makes a lucky guess and goes to a url like http://hertz.com/nl-new/video/live?v...&&mode=stealth returned video from the first od 50k neverlost vehicles. imagine changing the link to 00002, 00003, and so on. Also, imagine that the video happens to list renter info and gps location.

rthib

The switch is a mechanical switch, it rotates the camera.
So in "off" position the camera is turned around so it can not see anything.

flightexpert

That shill post makes me question the quality of Hertz's marketing team.

cestmoi123

I'm thinking either fanboy or very low-level shill (i.e. counter employee at location XYZ).

flightexpert

Either way, it's an amazing, if grammatically incorrect, display of dedication to the cause.

"Fanboy" - I love it.

davew277

Cover the lens yourself if you are that worried.

Then the internet can have fun watching me drive a car. It sounds exciting! This is something I like to watch on youtube... (sarcasm)

One word, Lawsuit.


Edit:
BTW, using URL Manipulation as a means of hacking is like 1990's tech... No modern company allows access to sensitive data using that old school trick. That only works on websites with little to no security (like porn sites). Modern websites require login credentials to view certain webpages. If someone has the exact address and is not logged in they will not be able to view the page. Copy the URL to your email home page and try to view it without being logged in.

suley

Thought I would add my 2 cents,

Firstly - Cover the lens if your worried but in honesty what have you to hide? They have an idea which is what the system was designed for but not used for. Reading the vast posts around about the new NL system no-one has actually been able to prove the system has been in use, its all paranoia. If someone was able to prove it was used or switched on without consent then Hertz would be liable for damages as its not part of the hire agreement.

Secondly - Assuming a stealth mode existed, it would be hard to use for Hertz. Most large corps very rarely build their own code, all apps, websites etc all use software and then are customized. The NL system uses Tomtom and a custom UI which I assume is by Tomtom or another company. Anyone who thinks Hertz have coding genius's in house must be living on another world. Look at the Hertz site and the backbone system which is using a dated system. They simply don't have the capability. Even if a spy mode existed only the master user would have access and that too would be limited. I used to work for an insurance company and telematics (speed tracking for reduced premiums) we could not get realtime data as the system would try upload data once every 12 hours and found the data was not always available despite being recorded on the device.

Thirdly - The system itself, data is the expensive part, its mobile data which is not entirely cheap. The car would need to have a good connection to upload the data to Hertz. What you have to remember is download is usually fast and upload costs more as is slower and more expensive. The system would not be hack proof but you would assume most files are encrypted on the devise and the access urls would be more secure so harder to break into unless you had a back end password.

Flyertall

Picking my nose.

I thought I had my bases covered when I checked the windows left and right, checked the rear view mirror behind me, and then peered far through my windshield to check for eyeballs reflecting back on the rear view mirror in the car in front of me... coast is clear, so away I pick.

I didn't think about the camera pointed right up my nose on the Hertz Never Lost system.

I'm mortified.

RentalGuru

Similar to a certain goverment that I will not mention. Hertz is taking full advantage of techonology to ascertain information about their customers. Aka they are using the video feed to spy on you guys. I can confirm this because I in fact have done so myself. I <3 watching you guys pick your nose. Yo soy un empleado de Hertz

davew277

So you checked everywhere and thought all of your bases were covered when you knowingly left the Hertz NL camera pointed up your nose without doing so much as putting a piece of gum over the lens? Why not just plant one of those juicy boogers over it?

That wasn't the Hertz NL camera. It was the CCTV camera which are prevalent in all major cities. Public privacy is an oxymoron.

Flyertall

I remember visiting Monaco for the first time, around 25 years ago. I was enamored with all of the fancy yachts, and spent quite a bit of time on the docks admiring them.

I walked back to my hotel, and just as I was about to arrive, a car zoomed up behind me and two men lept out and confronted me. They were in plain clothes, but claimed (in French) to be the police. They said they saw me looking at the boats through their cameras (which were everywhere in the city, and mind you, this was 25 years ago).

It took some convincing, but they finally relented and let me go inside my hotel. At least they didn't draw guns and start firing until proven innocent or dead, unlike American police do. But yes, no privacy in public.

One would think, however, that the personal space inside one's car for the day would be considered "private". I not only put post it notes on the Hertz camera, I put stickers over my cell phone and laptop cameras. I've read about those apps that take your picture, because you gave them permission to when you downloaded the app.

I'm sure the Hertz rental contract has some clause buried in the fine print on the back that permits them to use their camera to look at my boogers too.

davew277

That was the whole point. If it bothers you then cover it up. I'm sure it's not being used, but none the less...

Personally, I don't care. The rental I have right now has it, and I haven't given it a second thought. If I'm being watched, so be it. Maybe I'll even give them a moon shot to spice things up.

On the flip side, I recently gave an acquaintance from where I'm contracting a ride home. He strikes me as a little on the shady side. But I gave him a ride anyway because he needed some help. I felt more secure giving him a ride just by him seeing the camera, whether it was on or not. So if he even had a thought a doing something underhanded, he didn't know if it was being watched. So in retrospect, I'm glad it was there.

vooadeer

Another shill poster. Weird.

cestmoi123

Dave's not a new poster, and if you look at his posting history, certainly doesn't look like a passionate Hertz defender.