OnStar Will Spy On You For Profit

I realize I may be going off topic as this blog focuses on politics but this is just too good not to pass along. OnStar began notifying its customers it will continue to collect and share their data even after they have cancelled their subscriptions. This "service" would also be extended to people who buy used cars unless the data connection has been deactivated.

In a privacy notice that will take effect this December, OnStar said that it would collect data as long as a data connection was active, including such details as the location and speed of the vehicle, as well as such fine-grained details as the odometer readings and tire pressure. It gets better. OnStar begins by saying that it only collects the GPS location of the vehicle in case of a crash, or lost vehicle. But it also adds that it may collect the information "when needed by us or our Service Providers for our quality, research or troubleshooting purposes" or simply "for any purpose, at any time, provided that following collection of such location and speed information identifiable to your Vehicle, it is shared only on an anonymized basis." OnStar also collects information on the details of calls made by the associated Hands-Free Calling. OnStar would also use this information to “allow us, and our affiliates, your Vehicle Maker, and Vehicle dealers, to offer you new or additional products or services; and for other purposes“

Whether or not OnStar really anonymizes the data is irrelevant, according to Jonathan Zdziarski, a senior forensic scientist at Via Forensics who wrote about the change in the policy.

"This is too shady, especially for a company that you're supposed to trust your family to," he wrote. "My vehicle's location is my life, it's where I go on a daily basis. It's private. It's mine. I shouldn't have to have a company like OnStar steal my personal and private life just to purchase an emergency response service. Taking my private life and selling it to third party advertisers, law enforcement, and God knows who else is morally inept. Shame on you, OnStar. You disgust me."

Amen