GM caves - cuts ties with data firms

[olrocker]

Originally Posted by HemiDave

I just want to thank the Camaro 6 community for literally being YEARS ahead of this "breaking news" of OnStar spying on us and sharing the data with insurance companies to raise our rates.

There’s a lot of smart people with common sense on this site. I have learned a lot too.

[el ess A]

Originally Posted by Evergreen6

This will be one to keep an eye on. I'd be curious *what* was shared with the analytics firms and how GM is able to spin this in the lawsuit.

I'm not sure that a VIN is PII by itself, or that Onstar even violated its own data sharing terms - that's for the lawyers to figure out. If this is Insurance companies supposedly buying depersonalized data from an analytics firm, but being able to make the connection on their end (having VIN, driving event information, and the primary driver's demographic information) then, is GM liable for what insurance companies do with that data?

Put some Jiffy Pop in the microwave. This is going to be interesting...

I would think GM is not specifically liable for what insurance companies do with the data. That's akin to holding banks responsible for what you do with your money. Or gun companies responsible for making a gun used in a crime.

What GM MAY be responsible for is collecting and sharing data it has no right to share because it could, as apparently in this case, cause financial loss to someone's wallet due to shared information that was not agreed upon by the plaintiff to share in the first place.

It seems they signed him up for data collection/sharing when he already apparently declined it. Regardless if it was free or not. Then, unbeknownst to him, he gets penalized by insurance companies based on this data. That seems to be the crux of the situation as I read it.

Same sorta thing happened when we bought the wife's Cadillac. They hit the OnStar buttton and started the sign up process right there in the parking lot. Before, I'd do it at my convenience. I kinda didn't appreciate that.

I've been bouncing around the idea of canning OnStar anyway. I keep it on the Cadillac for the wife since it's "her" car anyway. I think this pretty much makes up my mind. If it's not there, they can't bother us about it or collect my data. I just got to figure out where that OnStar module is on the car and whether or not I can unplug it safely. They already "unplugged" 5th gen owners whether we liked it or not when going to 4G/5G, so fugg 'em. Got an iPhone that knows where I am and can call 911 for me in a bad crash. So what's OnStar got that iPhone doesn't? It'll be just one less thing probing into my personal business.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by el ess A

I would think GM is not specifically liable for what insurance companies do with the data. That's akin to holding banks responsible for what you do with your money. Or gun companies responsible for making a gun used in a crime.

What GM MAY be responsible for is collecting and sharing data it has no right to share because it could, as apparently in this case, cause financial loss to someone's wallet due to shared information that was not agreed upon by the plaintiff to share in the first place.

It seems they signed him up for data collection/sharing when he already apparently declined it. Regardless if it was free or not. Then, unbeknownst to him, he gets penalized by insurance companies based on this data. That seems to be the crux of the situation as I read it.

Same sorta thing happened when we bought the wife's Cadillac. They hit the OnStar buttton and started the sign up process right there in the parking lot. Before, I'd do it at my convenience. I kinda didn't appreciate that.

I've been bouncing around the idea of canning OnStar anyway. I keep it on the Cadillac for the wife since it's "her" car anyway. I think this pretty much makes up my mind. If it's not there, they can't bother us about it or collect my data. I just got to figure out where that OnStar module is on the car and whether or not I can unplug it safely. They already "unplugged" 5th gen owners whether we liked it or not when going to 4G/5G, so fugg 'em. Got an iPhone that knows where I am and can call 911 for me in a bad crash. So what's OnStar got that iPhone doesn't? It'll be just one less thing probing into my personal business.

To my knowledge, they don't report actual raw data, or at least not ONLY raw data. They pass along THEIR interpretation of what's good and bad. You can drive your Camaro pretty tamely to the store, and it will report a lot of hard acceleration and hard braking events which aren't really worth noting in the first place.

[Rogueleader_92]

At least untill they can find another loophole or do it quietly.
https://www.corvetteblogger.com/2024...4Qv9aHJstwBHA4

[CHASLT1]

So they say.

[ardyzl1]

The one thing they wont do is stop collecting the data. There are other players in the game too, like onstar, OEMs, LEOs and the telcos. With so much data and so many customers, my guess is somebody somewhere will figure out a way to monitize that data. I don't expect a press release to announce it.

[WhiteMale]

I used the GM AUthority article to make sure that the App was opted out of OnStar data sharing or whatever they called it, good step-by-step how to and mine was already OFF I just used it to make sure and that I didn't miss something.

[JimGnitecki]

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2024/03...-data-lawsuit/

[radz28]

That seems like good news, if accurate.

Now - if we could get them to make it more difficult for our cars to get stolen so easily...

[LT1Zob]

Called onstar yesterday. Told them to cancel my free trial I got when I picked up my 23 lt1 a few weeks ago. When asked why I was so adamant to cancel instead of letting it run out, I told them. Guy told me they've had many similar calls recently. This for now, pull out the box shortly. A bit swamped at work for now to start that project

[olrocker]

Originally Posted by LT1Zob

Called onstar yesterday. Told them to cancel my free trial I got when I picked up my 23 lt1 a few weeks ago. When asked why I was so adamant to cancel instead of letting it run out, I told them. Guy told me they've had many similar calls recently. This for now, pull out the box shortly. A bit swamped at work for now to start that project

If enough people call to cancel all things OnStar (and the telematics for all other manufacturers) and more people start pulling the transceiver board out of their cars, perhaps these companies will realize they should just make the entire system - all hardware and software - optional on all cars.

If you don’t want OnStar, your car is not built with any component of it at all. And it can never be upgraded to have the capability.

No “OnStar On Board” window sticker

[Fstlane]

So if you did not know even if you turn off OnStar they still collect data. You have to ask them to total turn off any connectivity. I have a 2019 and Free OnStar expired long ago. They however would still send notifications about oil changes and other conditions, which means they are collecting data from the car.
SO you have to ask them to TOTALLY disconnect the car for any remote data.....mine was set to end in 2029.
I am Now disconnected

[Joshinator99]

Originally Posted by Fstlane

So if you did not know even if you turn off OnStar they still collect data. You have to ask them to total turn off any connectivity. I have a 2019 and Free OnStar expired long ago. They however would still send notifications about oil changes and other conditions, which means they are collecting data from the car.
SO you have to ask them to TOTALLY disconnect the car for any remote data.....mine was set to end in 2029.
I am Now disconnected

If you did not pull the hardware, you’re never totally disconnected…

[LT1Zob]

Originally Posted by Joshinator99

If you did not pull the hardware, you’re never totally disconnected…

THIS! Beat me to it.

They'll stop emailing you so you'll feel warm and fuzzy, but the tracker is always there. They can, and likely will continue to snoop and sell the data