It's a bit difficult these days, but with perseverance you can open a car with a screwdriver. Should we ban all screwdrivers? The Canadian government now appears to be applying that logic. The Flipper Zero is now banned there, a small device with which, according to Canada, you can easily steal modern cars. Brazil previously banned the gadget and you are no longer allowed to buy it on Amazon.
If we stick with the metaphor, Canada now bans the pipe wrench because the screwdriver is used to steal cars. Because although it is true that you can hack many things with the Flipper Zero, it still seems to be quite difficult to use the gadget for cars, according to the COO of the company that makes the gadget.
Anyone can buy the Flipper Zero
The Flipper Zero is a programmable device that costs 165 euros in the Netherlands. The gadget can receive and send all kinds of signals. For example, you can use the thing to open the fuel filler flap of a Tesla because you can clone the signal from a Supercharger. So you understand where the fear of car theft comes from, but it seems that Canada doesn't quite get it.
Flipper's COO says no Gizmodo that it is impossible to use the Zero to steal a car that is younger than year 1990. These cars have a so-called 'rolling code'. This key access code changes every time you use it. According to Flipper, the Zero is intended for testing and developing safety measures.
Can you steal a car with a Flipper Zero?
There are videos on the internet of people stealing cars with the Flipper Zero, but according to the COO these were staged to attract viewers. And even if you open a car with the gadget, you still cannot start the car. For the time being, the device is still available in the Netherlands on various sites.
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