As much as it seem over the top, those researcher could have hurt people.
Calling the police will not have them go to jail or have their data deleted. It might (rightfully) get them a fine. It will however ensure that their next experiments are done in a safer, more legal way.
Calling the police isn't all about emergency. You can call them to talk about issues that worry you such as this one. They will take care of bringing the issue the the right entities, it's their job.
> Calling the police will not have them go to jail or have their data deleted.
Do we read the same Internet news? Having seen the way the law enforcement + prosecution machine works in cases like Aaron Schwartz, I would be surprised if these researchers did not spend time in jail, and didn't at least face charges of some Serious Nature.
If there's a case to be made, the police will build it. If they build it, the DA will prosecute it, and there could be (is going to be?) things like charges under the CFAA, since they could certainly try the perspective that the access needed to be authorized by the auto manufacturer, rather than the owner of the car.
I could totally see how invoking the power of the police on these researchers could, through the kind of progression we've seen many times before, destroy their lives. I really hope that's not the case -- I'd much rather they got some kind of warning like, "Don't you ever do this on a road with other people on it again". Even so, I agree with many others that their actions were pretty reckless, more so than I realized when I first read the article. This is the kind of thing that should have been done on a private test track, and doing it around others was reckless and negligent.
> Having seen the way the law enforcement + prosecution machine works in cases like Aaron Schwartz, I would be surprised if these researchers did not spend time in jail, and didn't at least face charges of some Serious Nature.
Having considered how dangerous their little stunt was, I'd almost expect them to be sentenced to some gaol time. What they did was pretty darn Serious!
If prior HN articles are anything to go by, it's a matter of time before SWAT kicks down their doors, beats them up a bit, and maybe even a few officers "fearing for their own lives" (yeah right) take a couple of shots in "self defense" against unarmed nerds.
You're delusional if you trust in a law enforcement agency to take reasoned and measured action in any situation.
> Calling the police will not have them go to jail or have their data deleted. It might (rightfully) get them a fine. It will however ensure that their next experiments are done in a safer, more legal way.
Or not done at all.
I may not fully agree with their methodology but I'm thankful this work is being done by people with good intentions instead of having these issues come to light when people with malicious intent find the vulnerability and kill or maim countless people.
Calling the police is just going to discourage more researchers from even attempting "safe" experiments. Calling the Highway patrol is like trying to open an egg with a sledgehammer.
Calling the police will not have them go to jail or have their data deleted. It might (rightfully) get them a fine. It will however ensure that their next experiments are done in a safer, more legal way.
Calling the police isn't all about emergency. You can call them to talk about issues that worry you such as this one. They will take care of bringing the issue the the right entities, it's their job.