On-Star the next Big Brother?

[RadarReviews_Net]

By Jonathan I. Locker
February 14, 2008
OnStar: Big Brother’s Eye in the Sky | The Truth About Cars

Ever since the Model T hit the silver screen, evading the long arm of the law has been a cinematic theme. From the General Lee outrunning Boss Hogg, to Smokey being outwitted by Burt Reynolds' mustache, the public imagination has always associated fast cars with police pursuit. While the majority of motorists would never dream of trying to outrun the long arm of the law, soon, they won't have to. It'll be resting on their shoulder. Consider OnStar…
OnStar is a telemetry system providing a central data bank with real-time data on virtually every system in your car, including GPS. OnStar's computer knows where you were, when you were there, and how fast you went. It knows if and when you applied the brakes, if and when the air bags deployed, and what speed you were going at the time. It knows if and when your car was serviced.

OnStar operators can determine if you have a passenger in the front seat (airbag detection). All interactions with OnStar's operators are automatically recorded (hence the commercials). By the same token, under certain conditions, OnStar can switch on your GM car's microphone remotely and record any and all sounds within the vehicle (i.e. conversations). But wait, there's more…

As of 2009, customers who upgrade to OnStar's "Safe & Sound" plan automatically receive the "Stolen Vehicle Slowdown" service. (Yes, it's an "opt out" deal.) If the OnStar-equipped vehicle is reported stolen and law enforcement has "established a clear line of sight of the stolen vehicle," the police may ask OnStar to slow it down remotely.
Many customers find OnStar immensely reassuring; their guardian e-angel. No question: OnStar has saved lives and provided its customers with valuable services. Otherwise, they wouldn't be in business. But what if…
The police are investigating a crime. They ask OnStar where your car was on a certain date and time, to corroborate an alibi. Or what if you're in a crash and the other guy's attorney would like to know how fast you were driving when you ran the red light? Would OnStar surrender the information? "OnStar is required to locate the car to comply with legal requirements, including valid court orders showing probable cause in criminal investigations." And OnStar may use gathered information to "protect the rights, property, or safety of you or others."

Imagine the following scenario. The FBI shows up at OnStar master command and tells them your car's been stolen by a terrorist, who may be using it to commit a crime at this very moment. Contacting the owner is out of the question; the owner may also be a terrorist. What does OnStar do? They cooperate with the FBI and give them everything they've got on your car. No warrant needed and no notification to you. Hell, you may not even have the service enabled.

In other words, you not only have to trust OnStar to protect your privacy, you have to trust the police not to ask the questions in the first place.
The Constitution of the United States protects us from the heavy hand of government. However, when it comes to protection from private entities, it does little. Into this void, multiple privacy laws have entered, creating a farrago of local, state, and federal laws which provide limited and haphazard protection to citizens. Whatever privacy protection these laws provide are usually nullified when companies violate them in "good faith" (e.g. while assisting the authorities.)

So who is going to stop the government from monitoring your car? The Bill of Rights protects you from an unreasonable search and seizure; the government can not take what belongs to you without a warrant. OnStar can owns the information they collect about your car. In short, there is nothing to stop the police or OnStar from using the information you paid for against you.

And the next step is even more insidious. Imagine GPS speed limiters which only allow you to go the speed limit based upon a map uploaded into your car's navigation system. Now Sammy Hagar will only be driving 55 no matter how hard he stomps on the go pedal. This is the ultimate assault on pistonheads. The only place where driving will be fun will be on the track– if OnStar and/or the car's manufacturer (e.g. the Japanese GT-R) let you.
There's only one sensible response to this trend: boycott vehicles



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[Nighthawk243]

Hence why I refused to buy my G5 with the onstar package.

[Stealthcb]

Yep. I'll NEVER own a vehicle with On-Star, which has helped me rule out all GM products. If it comes to this kind of crap, I'll buy all old, used cars that can't be monitored that way.

[lugnuts]

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

[CJR238]

Originally Posted by lugnuts

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

Pull the fuse.

[Stealthcb]

I read somewhere that you can't disable it. But I don't recall where I saw it.

[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.

I'm not sure about some of you, but I don't have anything to hide from On-Star's phone tapping, don't plan to run from the Police anytime soon, or commit a felony where the FBI would need the transcript of me driving to the grocery store.

[lugnuts]

well in all my years of driving I have never needed a service like on-star nor have I met anyone that needed on-star's service.

it is all a bunch of BS to get the sheep of this country to comply in being monitored/tracked. you can go ahead and be monitored I myself have no need for this crap in my car.

this is America land of the free! not land of being watched!

I am so sick of yahoos saying "I am doing nothing wrong and have nothing to hide so go ahead and spy on"

even if I am doing nothing wrong and am a law abiding citizen that still doesn't give them the right to spy on me.

[Lucozade17]

Originally Posted by lugnuts

well in all my years of driving I have never needed a service like on-star nor have I met anyone that needed on-star's service.

it is all a bunch of BS to get the sheep of this country to comply in being monitored/tracked. you can go ahead and be monitored I myself have no need for this crap in my car.

this is America land of the free! not land of being watched!

I am so sick of yahoos saying "I am doing nothing wrong and have nothing to hide so go ahead and spy on"

even if I am doing nothing wrong and am a law abiding citizen that still doesn't give them the right to spy on me.

I don't think On-Star is "spying" on people. Why would they want "spy" on you?

[Lucozade17]

I was just thinking about the Tahoe's that are used for the Presidential Motorcade, can someone from On-Star track their progress? Assuming that they have On-Star unless they have not subscribed or disabled the system. What if this was hacked into by a terrorist