When Ford patented a new “snitch mode” my ears perked up. This is, after all, the automaker that patented a system to notify the police when nearby cars are speeding. The new “snitch mode” could be a win-win to notify owners when thieves are trying to gain access to your Ford or Lincoln. It could also make it difficult to modify your vehicle.

Ford’s “snitch mode” patent could warn you when a vehicle’s telematics has been tampered with

All new Ford vehicles have a telematics control unit. It’s the central hub for collecting, processing, and transmitting vehicle data. It connects to Ford’s network to control processes such as over-the-air updates or remote diagnostics. So if you want to steal a Ford vehicle and make it untraceable, the TCU is a major hurdle.

To make vehicles more secure, some automakers are installing TCU shields which make the unit as tamper-proof as possible. But Ford has come up with a more clever system. The “snitch mode” could notify the owner–through an app on their phone or other contact information–if their TCU is tampered with. This could be the best of both worlds.

Imagine a thief is in the middle of stealing your F-150, and is trying to disable the TCU. The “someone is currently removing your TCU” text could be how you catch them in the act. But there’s another upside too.

Let’s say you don’t want Ford’s latest over-the-air software update. You own your vehicle outright, you should be free to keep the software you bought with it. You should be able to hire someone to modify your TCU, and if it’s not locked behind a shield that’s much easier. Sure, you’ll get an alert that someone is modifying your TCU, but you can safely ignore the warning.

Parts anti-theft systems could have a dark side

Ford’s working on other anti-theft patents. These include a wheel theft detection system and other parts theft detection systems. This sounds great. Imagine how much headache we could save if every catalytic converter had a unique bar code and GPS tracker embedded. But of course there is a less moral use of this same technology.

For over 100 years, automakers have tried various strategies to make it difficult for non-dealer technicians to service their vehicles. Over the decades, the government has had to challenge automakers and other companies, standing up for our legal right to repair our own vehicles or have a private shop do the work. There’s a future in which your Ford won’t start up with aftermarket wheels or over-the-air software updates disabled. If any automakers try to pull this nonsense, we may have to vote with our wallets and boycott them.

Ford stated: “Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property…The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans. No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.”