WSJ Tech News Briefing · Tuesday, August 4, 2026
A growing number of car drivers are expressing dissatisfaction with the increasing reliance on touchscreens and digital features in modern vehicles, citing distractions and privacy concerns. Some are actively seeking cars with minimal technology or finding workarounds to disable unwanted features.
“Carmakers have spent years making sure their designs are filled with the latest technology. But now, a group of low-tech drivers is fighting back, demanding buttons and knobs instead of ice scanners and cruise control.”
“There's people who feel distracted by the screens and the beeps. There's people who resent uh being told by some of the safety technology that tells you if you're veering toward a lane or if you look sleepy. They say, "I don't want my car telling me how to drive."”
“So one of the things that consumers have really pushed to have knobs in cars as opposed to having everything on a screen, and these screens have become so cost-effective.”