Did you read that in a mag or on another forum?
I've never thought much of manufacturers saying special tyres were developed for a car. That's marketing talk. As for them invalidating warranty? I don't think so.
The ECU thng is possible. I even read someplace that they be able to record not only your speed, rev's, G and so on but also your location by using the GPS chip from the sat nav. Think I read that on the OC recently. It is possible but could be against many privacy laws.