FBI, Police Not Allowed To Spy Via Telematics Systems... For Now

from the there-goes-that-plan... dept

Someone in the FBI must have been absolutely ecstatic when they realized that with systems like OnStar it was theoretically possible to turn the microphone on and listen in on what was happening in any car using the system. Suddenly they wouldn't even need to bug cars - as the owners had bugged their own cars for the FBI! Except... no. A judge has ruled that the FBI cannot secretly eavesdrop on in-car conversations by getting telematics companies to turn their systems on. However, the ruling wasn't based on the issue of privacy - but on the fact that in doing so, the FBI disabled the OnStar system. In other words, if OnStar redesigned their system so that FBI eavesdropping could work at the same time as the regular OnStar system, they'd be free to go ahead. Update: Kevin Poulsen (thanks!) points out that it's not OnStar in this case, but rather the TeleAid system from ATX, which is used in Mercedes vehicles.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  • identicon
    james, 20 Nov 2003 @ 4:12am

    FBI opportunistically bugs us?? I'm shocked, shock

    Once again cementing their reputation as an organization with entirely too much time on their hands and a budget to match, the FBI has as much as declared that the inane natterings of bored republican housewives driving to the mall to buy Victoria's Secret undies in a last-ditch attempt to rekindle their failed love lives (with hubbie?booooooooyfriend???)are important enough to jeopardize

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 Nov 2003 @ 12:33pm

      Re: FBI opportunistically bugs us?? I'm shocked, s

      Whish your rant was entertaining or informative.
      Sadly neither.

      link to this | view in chronology ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.