Does anyone know about the legality of removing the built-in sim cards from your car, specifically in Australia?

I don’t intend on using any car smart-features when I get one. For context, I’ve never owned a car. When I do get one though, I intend to remove the sim card to prevent the car’s location from being constantly tracked. All I care about in terms a cars functionality is a radio, a CD drive (Yes, I use CD’s), and Bluetooth audio, so I don’t think removing the sim card should affect this much, if at all. Any knowledge and advice would be appreciated, thankyou!

Update: What I was referring to is an eSim, which appears not to be in the form of a physical card. Even so, if possible, I would like to disable the functionality of this eSim assuming the car I purchase has one in-built. From my research, I cannot find anything that explicitly forbids disabling or removing Sims.

  • ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    5·
    6 months ago

    RF analog electronics can often be damaged if powered without the antenna load, and of those that won’t be damaged, many will be able to detect and fault for lack of antenna load.

    So replacing the antenna with a dummy load will keep the system operating “normally” without risk of damage, but also without actually sending data.

    • DreitonLullaby@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
      2·
      6 months ago

      So you’re saying that other electronics used within the car (ones that aren’t damaged by the lack of antenna) may be able to detect the lack of antenna as a “fault” and thus hinder their own functionality? Also, by “antenna”, are you referring to the one used for the radio? Like an Aerial? So my understanding is that giving the antenna connection a “dummy load” is a way of removing the antenna, and stopping the sending of data, without damaging or hindering any other electronics/components of the car.

      • ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        3·
        6 months ago

        Sort of.

        The electronics that do the communicating could sense the lack of antenna as a fault, then indicate to other devices in the vehicle that fault. This could potentially cause the vehicle to light it’s fault indicator, among any number of other things.

        And by antenna, yes it could be what you think of as an Aerial, but it likely won’t be the same one as for the radio (some antennas are multi purpose, but most are tuned to specific bands)