OnStar Questions ...

Hello folks,

So in order to do my part for the economy, and to get prepared for what are bound to be increasingly snowy winters in the Mid-Atlantic region, I just purchased a GM 4x4 vehicle. As some of you know, it comes standard with OnStar which I have the option to subscribe to or not.

Now there are obvious tracking implications for the conspiratorial mind, but the time being let us bypass those ... what I am having a hard time finding out is whether or not the data collected from OnStar can be used against me in court in case of an accident or if it can be acquired and used by insurance companies to determine rates? Also I can't seem to find out if OnStar still collects data from the system even if I choose not to subscribe to it.

Any help or information would be greatly appreciated. I don't mind forking out the $20 a month for peace of mind in case of an accident and to get diagnostics, but I would like to know what I am giving up in the process.

Thanks and cheers!

reply to post by schrodingers dog

Explanation: S&F!

Avoid it like the plague and just so you don't misunderstand the gravity of that... think Zombie Plague etc!

Personal Disclosure: I'm not an expert [not a mechanic, dont own a car and I have no licence as I'm not allowed ] but here is what I have learned in the past few mins researching on the interwebz!

Google Search : onstar car security issues

Google Search: onstar car security legal issues

Onstar [answers.com]

Big Brother Has the Power to Turn Off Your Car (Monday, March 22, 2010 By:Theresa Payton ) [infosecisland.com]

How OnStar Works (by Shanna Freeman) [auto.howstuffworks.com]

Cars: The next hacking frontier?
(by Elinor Mills. August 31, 2010 11:07 AM PDT) [news.cnet.com]



Personal Disclosure: $240-$260 per year .. just pay that towards full comprehensive insurance and USE YOUR MOBILE FONE! Because it does exactly the same job except the car security bit and you dont need that as insurance will cover! Don't let these thugs fool you SD!

Thanks OL.

Ugh:

In addition to airbag deployment and impact severity, the Vehicle Comm and Interface Module can also record whether you're wearing your seatbelt or how fast you're driving. It keeps data related to events immediately before, during and after a crash for about 45 days. The Call Center retains received information for over a year so that it can maintain quality and follow-up on customer complaints.

OnStar says that it passes this information on to auto manufacturers to improve vehicle safety. However, critics speculate that it could also be used to:

clear auto manufacturers of wrongdoing
deny warranty repairs
find you at fault in an accident
increase your car insurance premiums or change your coverage

According to OnStar's Privacy Policy, it will share personal information to "comply with legal requirements, valid court orders and exigent circumstances" [ref]. It also shares information with subsidiaries, including GMAC, which provides vehicle insurance. Although it did not mention OnStar by name, a United States Appeals Court ruled in 2003 that the government may be able to use the on-board cell phone to eavesdrop on drivers. auto.howstuffworks.com...

I guess the thing to find out is if the EDR (Event Data Recorder) still transmits if I choose not to subscribe. If it does anyway I might as well get the service.

www.citizenscommitteeforconstitutionalprotection.com...

This was interesting.
Seems the answer is yes, and that there's also a push for it (edr) to be installed on all vehicles to 'collect data'.
Me? I'll opt out.