So not only is On-Star still tracking everywhere you go and how fast you were driving to get there even if you cancel service, but they will sell that information to third parties.
More commonly, this information is apparently sold to traffic monitoring providers and authorities to determine where roads may need expansion and where and when to set up speed traps. In addition, for $150 dollars an hour, OnStar will track your car and hand over all of your information at their disposal to the feds, as long as they get a subpoena or a court order.
According to the company’s privacy policy, they know your name and billing information, how fast you drive, if and when you apply the brakes, whether you’re wearing your seatbelt, oil life, tire pressure, and odometer reading. If your car is on or off, when your fuel is refilled and your vehicle’s location. OnStar can remotely unlock your doors, slow down your car or prevent it from starting altogether. They record and monitor conversations by you or others from your car, but if you ask for copies of your own records, you will find out that “OnStar is not required to release any audio or physical records…without a subpoena (unless otherwise required by law).”
On-Star indicates that the listening feature will not activate without first making an announcement of their intention to do so. However, in 2003, the FBI used the on-board connection to eavesdrop on the vehicle’s occupants via the passive listening feature. When FBI agents remotely activated the system and were listening in, passengers in the vehicle could not tell that their conversations were being monitored. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco didn’t have a problem with the government converting safety and communications system into roaming in-car wiretaps, as long as it didn’t impact the safety features.
Although it hasn't been used as such to date, it could potentially be used to deny warranty repairs or extended warranty, clear auto manufacturers of liability, increase your insurance premiums or find you at fault in an accident, all even without your consent to service.
Not so sure I'm going to be buying a GM vehicle anytime soon, unless there is an easy way to pull a fuse and disable the system.
Quote:
| Navigation-and-emergency-services company OnStar is notifying its six million account holders that it will keep a complete accounting of the speed and location of OnStar-equipped vehicles, even for drivers who discontinue monthly service. OnStar began e-mailing customers Monday about its update to the privacy policy, which grants OnStar the right to sell that GPS-derived data |
According to the company’s privacy policy, they know your name and billing information, how fast you drive, if and when you apply the brakes, whether you’re wearing your seatbelt, oil life, tire pressure, and odometer reading. If your car is on or off, when your fuel is refilled and your vehicle’s location. OnStar can remotely unlock your doors, slow down your car or prevent it from starting altogether. They record and monitor conversations by you or others from your car, but if you ask for copies of your own records, you will find out that “OnStar is not required to release any audio or physical records…without a subpoena (unless otherwise required by law).”
On-Star indicates that the listening feature will not activate without first making an announcement of their intention to do so. However, in 2003, the FBI used the on-board connection to eavesdrop on the vehicle’s occupants via the passive listening feature. When FBI agents remotely activated the system and were listening in, passengers in the vehicle could not tell that their conversations were being monitored. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco didn’t have a problem with the government converting safety and communications system into roaming in-car wiretaps, as long as it didn’t impact the safety features.
Although it hasn't been used as such to date, it could potentially be used to deny warranty repairs or extended warranty, clear auto manufacturers of liability, increase your insurance premiums or find you at fault in an accident, all even without your consent to service.
Not so sure I'm going to be buying a GM vehicle anytime soon, unless there is an easy way to pull a fuse and disable the system.
