On-Star the next Big Brother?

[Nighthawk243]

Originally Posted by lugnuts

is there a way to remove on-star from a vehicle? is the on-star a separate computer?

After the first year, it deactivates unless you wish to continue service. If you want to remove it before that, pull the fuse, and then you can just remove the equipment for it. If it gives you a light for lack of equipment, you can have a GM dealer deactivate the option in the computer (But I don't believe it would give a light for onstar.)

You can still buy GM vehicles without onstar.

[Nighthawk243]

Originally Posted by Lucozade17

I am driving on an icy road and it is raining. I loose control of my vehicle, break through the guardrail, hit a tree, and plunge into an ice covered lake. My airbags deployed, I am unconscious and the water level is rising. My phone is soaked, therefor not working. There are no other vehicles nearby and if there were, they wouldn't know you were there.

When and if the airbags deploy on my Cadillac Escalade equipped with On-Star, I will be listening to an On-Star representative asking me if I am OK. But, I can't speak I an unconscious. On-Star notices the police and fire dept who will be with me in no time.

Whereas all of you without On-Star in your GM vehicles, you will most likely slowly drown.
.

Scenario unlikely. Why? Well, if you're stuck in that much water, your Onstar equipment, being electronic like your cellular phone, is also probably fried and waterlogged. The onstar wont work if your car's electrical system is also not functional.

As per the "I have nothing to hide" clause... that may be true, but I have been hearing of a growing number of cases where people have been issued speeding tickets because onstar saw that the GPS transponder was indicating the car was going faster than the PSL.

[Lucozade17]

Originally Posted by Nighthawk243

Scenario unlikely. Why? Well, if you're stuck in that much water, your Onstar equipment, being electronic like your cellular phone, is also probably fried and waterlogged. The onstar wont work if your car's electrical system is also not functional.

As per the "I have nothing to hide" clause... that may be true, but I have been hearing of a growing number of cases where people have been issued speeding tickets because onstar saw that the GPS transponder was indicating the car was going faster than the PSL.

It was just that, a scenario. I could just hit a tree or flip over and loose consciousness. Either way, whenever my airbags deploy, On-Star will always get notified and emergency crews called.

And I have never heard of a case where On-Star has called the police because one of their customers was speeding. Why would anyone buy a GM vehicle?

[Stealthcb]

I'm a 24-year intelligence analyst for the US Intel Community. I trust the government MORE than I trust a private company, and I want NOTHING to do with OnStar spying on me. All it takes is one unscrupulous employee to accept a bribe to tell someone who wants to kill me where I am and what direction I'm going. I don't need the possibility that they can shut off my car for them too.

If a vehicle has an OnStar unit in it, I will NOT buy it. Period.