OnStar Drops Plan To Monitor Non-Subscribers
from the recalculating... dept
Given the widespread public backlash over OnStar's plan to keep tracking people after they'd canceled their service -- and to potentially sell aggregate info to advertisers -- it appears that OnStar did what many people expected and backed away from the plan. It may have helped that a bunch of Senators had raised some questions about the legality of the move in the first place. The new plan will leave tracking as an option, but only on an opt-in basis, rather than an opt-out basis. As OnStar's President explained it, "We realize that our proposed amendments did not satisfy our subscribers." That's PR-speak for "we totally screwed up."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.
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and I am expecting a YouTube video of "Hitler finds out people read Terms of Service" now.
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Well that sucks
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Re:
I remember techreport (the website), when it made super annoying ads, and people were commenting on using adblock, would be threatened with a "one more time and you're banned" (along with comment deletion) for daring to mention circumventing their ads, as if it's a mystery. Yes, they threatened me and said this was policy.
however, the greatest mistake in the first place is getting a vehicle that has onstar.
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Re:
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It doesn't matter
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Re: It doesn't matter
Is it illegal to remove power to the onstar equipment yet?
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Re: Re: It doesn't matter
Also see this article: "Feds to require black box event recorders in all new cars". The article writes: "This sounds like a sensible idea, as long as strict limits are places on what data is recorded, and who has access to it. The potential for abuse is huge, such as cops using it to issue speeding tickets, or GPS data being used in a divorce case to show who you were visiting. Still, the upside could be pretty significant too, for example proving that you weren't speeding when you had an accident."
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"OnStar Drops Plan To Admit Publicly That We're Going To Continue To Monitor Non-Subscribers".
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Beyond the Tracking - "Home" can control your device
Along with so-called "intellectual property", we need to be very concerned with the ability of "home" to manipulate your electronic devices, which me even rat on you.
I also remember this from the TV Show "Outer Limits"
"There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We can reduce the focus to a soft blur, or sharpen it to crystal clarity. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits."
Quote from IMDB
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Another reason not to buy GM
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Re: Another reason not to buy GM
Because they aren't doing anything wrong, they have nothing to hide. =]
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Re: Re: Another reason not to buy GM
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the alternative
If you decide to re-subscribe thats your choice, but equally you have the right to have your chest crushed against the steering wheel and feel your eyeballs burst as your face smacks the windshield.
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