With all the news about data mining for profit by tech companies, there's no shortage of things to be paranoid about. And if you're worried about your privacy, it's as easy as just staying off the Internet, although we don't encourage such rash behavior. But if you're worried about OnStar tracking your location and speed, it's not as easy as just cancelling your subscription to GM's telematics titan.
According to Wired.com, OnStar is contacting its 6 million account holders to notify them that the company will keep data on their car's location and speed even if vehicle owners cancel their monthly service. The website reports that OnStar began e-mailing its customers on Monday about an update to its privacy policy that also allows the company to sell GPS data in an anonymous format.
A spokesman for OnStar noted that the company does not yet sell customer data, but it reserves the right to do so. The spokesman added that, under OnStar's former and updated privacy policies, the company can track a car's movement and speed. What has changed in the update is that OnStar "is going to maintain a two-way connection to your vehicle unless the customer says otherwise." The changes to the OnStar privacy policy take effect in December.
The spokesman also said that OnStar is periodically contacted by organizations "requesting our information," and he gave an example of how the data could be used by the Michigan Department of Transportation "to get a feel for traffic usage of a specific section of freeway."
But OnStar's privacy policy also allows the data to be used for marketing purposes, and the mind reels at the possibilities -- everything from auto insurers to fast food restaurants. Wired.com speculates that law enforcement and lawyers could have a field day with the "treasure trove of data that could be used in criminal and civil cases."
In fact, OnStar's recent Policy Statement says that the company "may share information we collect with law enforcement or other public safety officials, credit-card processors and/or other third parties we contract with who conduct joint marketing initiatives with OnStar."
Jonathan Zdziarski, a forensics scientist from Ohio, blogged about OnStar's new privacy policy earlier this week, and also declared that he would be cancelling his service and making sure that his car is disconnected from OnStar's network. No word on whether he will also stay off the interwebs.
opfreak says:
12:34 PM, 09/21/11
another reason to not get a Government Motors car.
throwback says:
12:40 PM, 09/21/11
opfreak, it does seem odd that GM would be tracking you! More food for the conspiracy theorists. I opted out when I received my email.
Mike Magrath replied to comment from throwback
01:02 PM, 09/21/11
I'd opt out by cutting the wires. All of them. Any of them.
-mm
vvk says:
01:03 PM, 09/21/11
Yep. Rip out that On-star module. It's not that hard.
You will get a little tiny warning light but it is hardly noticeable.
bimmerjay says:
01:35 PM, 09/21/11
I'm sure there are ways to disable it without haphazardly cutting wires or triggering warning lights.
I don't know BMW Assist's privacy policy off the top of my head, but if you let your subscription lapse (or never activate it when you buy the car new), after 6 months they remotely send a signal to the unit that disables it completely. If you or a future owner wants to re-activate it, you have to go to a dealer to have them reflash the module's firmware. I'd be surprised if you can't have your GM dealer similarly deactivate the OnStar module if the OnStar service won't do it.
greenpony says:
01:38 PM, 09/21/11
A hardware disconnect is probably the best idea. Who wants to waste their time arguing in court that evidence is inadmissible because they tracked you even though you requested that they not? I wonder if Ford tracks you with Sync.
george2040 says:
02:29 PM, 09/21/11
I'd just disconnect the antenna for the cell phone part of the module, but leave the rest of the module connected. The module would then be permanently out of range from cell sites without generating other errors. If someone wants On-Star to work at a future date, the antenna could be reconnected.
Never understood the economics of On-Star from the customer's perspective. It's basically a cell phone bill for your car in addition to a cell phone bill for the phone you already carry. The customer is much better off with a good bluetooth link from the car to the cell phone and no monthly bill.
blueguydotcom says:
02:30 PM, 09/21/11
Wow, there's an awesome reason never to get one of these services. Sadly your cell phone data is revealing much the same stuff...
threemopars says:
02:41 PM, 09/21/11
I would not be shocked to see if the vehicle would not start if the wires would cut.
Well IL, you have a Traverse and a Cruze in the fleet, how about a test of cutting the wires or disconnecting the unit?
kevm14 says:
03:03 PM, 09/21/11
I simply unplugged mine. Why? Because I think it's an old analog unit, and because I used the wiring harness to plug in a Galaxy 1000 bluetooth module, which interfaces with everything the OnStar did. Gives my 05 mostly-integrated bluetooth (uses the mic, the mirror buttons, mutes the radio, turns down the HVAC fan, all that stuff). But I didn't unplug it out of paranoia. Maybe OnStar equipped vehicles have a hand in reporting real-time traffic data...
smallfield says:
06:19 PM, 09/21/11
Scary. Real time marketing.
I think IL and Wired missed the boat on this. I'm sure the police can't probe the data blindly for individuals. They'd need a warrant to see if Joe Smith is speeding right now.
For liability purposes, an ECM from pretty much any car company records throttle position, speed, steering angle, braking data regardless of on star, BMW assist, sync etc. That data is needed for stability control, ABS, etc. Most log the data permanently if you hit something and airbags deploy under the guise of safety monitoring. I'm pretty sure with the right know how and tools you could get the data from pretty much any make/model that isn't pre-ECM (?mid 80s or earlier) for the last few minutes a car was driven and certainly after a crash.
So if you really screw-up and are driving 100mph and hit something important, a modestly savvy police unit could use that data to convict you regardless of GM/BMW/VW etc (unless you are driving a 1968 GTO :) ) Or - if they impound your car after a huge speeding pull-over, probably can interface to pull the data as needed (warrant required probably for this).
my 0.02
smallfield says:
06:34 PM, 09/21/11
Oh - and the most likely the data will be aggregate. They'll monitor average speeds on roads real time to update re-routing for equipped cars. Chrome plating companies will locate where GM says the most Escalades pass by etc. That data is profitable.
Looking to see if one person is speeding probably isn't profitable. Can you imagine the court case:
Police: Sir, your Tahoe was going 85 in a 55 on April 1 at 10:42am.
Me: OK
Police: How do you plead
Me: Not guilty, I'm not sure if I was driving or if it was someone else. I can't recall April 1 at 10:42am.
Judge: Case dismissed
They'd probably lose money even if some people just pay the ticket.
Now - if you activate On Star and tell them you are driving as you speed, maybe they can record it to use against you later? Maybe On Star can be contracted to call you and record your voice when you speed to use against you? Maybe On Star will add a camera feature to help prosecute speeders? Oh, wait - GM doesn't do law enforcement, they make money by selling cars.
litewerk says:
08:09 PM, 09/21/11
"I Know What You Did Last Summer," and last month, and last week and yesterday and today! I know where you've been, and how fast you drove to get there and to get home.
So, that also means they know when you hoon your rental car and even your leased car. Yeah, talking about you, you IL LT editors/test drivers! ha! j/k
vvk says:
08:01 AM, 09/22/11
bimmerjay, you are a trusting soul :)
mito says:
12:07 PM, 09/22/11
I wouldn't worry about law enforcement so much, i would be more concerned about insurance companies getting their hands on this type of data... and they can afford it too.
subytrojan says:
12:10 PM, 09/22/11
I didn't read everything, but people should have to opt-in, not opt-out.
bodyblue says:
08:34 AM, 09/23/11
All one has to do is ask them to turn of ALL services and they will do it. I saw a blip on the news about this yesterday.
sil3nc3r says:
11:53 AM, 09/25/11
This isn't as bad as it sounds. You'd be surprised at how many tech companies sell your anonymous usage data. Facebook doesn't even make it anonymous - why all the sudden do people care that GM wants to sell McDonalds information about what time you went to their establishment? It's troubling though - all good privacy policies should allow an opt-out... rather, you should have to OPT-IN! All I know is, they shouldn't be selling my location data without giving me a piece of the pie... AKA - if they're going to do this, OnStar should be free for everyone.
This is why I like Ford Sync. It just goes through my phone. This is also why I'm glad the shop that repaired my airbags in my G6 broke the OnStar system while they were at it. OnStar? Hellooooo nineties! Where's my bluetooth?