High-speed chase ends when OnStar halts stolen SUV

reply to post by mrmonsoon


MM,
Ford invented the "black boxes". My problem is that we do not know the capabilities of the boxes in other cars. For all we know every make and model has the possibility of being shut down with the right signal. GM just puts it up front with On Star.

I'm waiting for the day that the Police can query these units from their vehicles or when your car calls the cops on you. Could you imagine this scenario.

Transmission to Police. "This is vehicle 746525889. I am on Highway 6, going North at mile marker 7.4. I had been parked at (GPS Coordinate for Moe's Bar) for 186 minutes. I detect the presence of alcohol in my environmental system."

It could happen.

One of the things that worries me most about something like OnStar is that there is always the potential for an outside party to compromise their network and then have control over every OnStar equipped vehicle. Can you imagine some angst-fueled teenager with the ability to shut down thousands of cars instantly at the touch of a button? Honestly as long as I have a choice I refuse to own any OnStar equipped vehicle, the older the better in my book.

who has the $ for a fancy new car like that anyways? I'll be sticking with my crappy old honda... unless they invent hover cars.

reply to post by MikeboydUS


I saw the story on the news and had the same reaction, at first I was amazed that if my car is stolen it could be found and stopped by on star (assuming I have on star) then immediately I was like wait a minute, do I was to surrender my privacy to protect my car (for which I have government required insurance anyway). No absolutely not take a look at this. The car companies/banks would like to install a feature that if a person is late on their payment the engine will stop!!!! Nothing will give them my car payment faster than not allowing me to get to work to earn money to pay it.

reply to post by JIMC5499


Jim.......

All I can say is I have never read/seen any reports of Fords having the FBI (pick your favorite three letter federal agency) listen in on conversations in the car.
(of course without driver consent)

I have never read or seen anything about Fords being shut down remotely by same said 3 letter federal agency.

Also the idea of a car phoning home to the cops to say it is speeding is way , way too 1984 for me.

reply to post by mrmonsoon


I'm in agreement with you on that. I was referring to the boxes that measure your speed, G-loading and other parameters. On Star is easy to disable. You can pull the fuse or cut the wire to the antennae.

Originally posted by Seiko
Electronic readers that can actually verify the speed limit and send you real time speeding tickets? What a hoot huh?

I also saw the commercial for a car about automatic braking, and thought it could be used as a way to disable a car. You just toss something out and the car stops......Great for muggings and carjackings.

I find this frightening if you haven't guessed.

Oh em gee, then don't get OnStar. Derf.
It's no different than with your GPS.

reply to post by JIMC5499


If you talk to dealerships, they will tell you.....

You can't disable them as they are fully integrated into the electronics and it would screw up the cars electronics if you do.

I agree about the black box's, but as for now, only Government Motors cars can be spied on/stopped without driver/owner's permission.

GM is also the only company who's spying system Phones home-without your permission.

reply to post by MikeboydUS


Thats easy to evade just drive an older vehicle. One without onstar or a new one without it, don't you have to sign up for it, or it comes with the car.

Personally I would not have OnStar in any of my vehicles, that stance courtesy of the recent cases where it was used to covertly listen in on conversations.

Oh, and no prizes for guessing what the suspect looks like. What I mean is that he is obviously well dressed

On-Star which is a division of General Motors has in the past always routinely turned down such requests by law enforcement until...

General Motors became...Government Motors.

Watch out people nationalization of industry though these thinly disguised bailouts is going to come with a terrible price.

The danger is it might be easy enough to applaude these actions in a case like this.

How though will you feel when a vehicle is disabled by the Government utilizing this technology when it is rushing a passenger to an emergency or delivery room and all of a sudden forward progress has been halted in life or death circumstances.

Welcome to 1984, 2009 style and it's going to get a lot worse if Americans don't wake up and take back their government and clean it up.

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


Well then you better get rid of the repubs and dems.
I say we all join the Whig party.

Originally posted by FantasmaTaans
reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler

 

Well then you better get rid of the repubs and dems.
I say we all join the Whig party.

I don't support either political party and can't stress enough the damage both parties willfully inflict on the nation.

I worked for General Motors for many years and On-Star would have never been used in this manner prior to the Government taking ownership control of the company.

The potential for an accident with the vehicle, for someone mistakenly assessing a situation, for someone's privacy and rights being violated would have spelled LAW SUIT like no tomorrow. Private owned companies tend to consider their customer's and citizen's rights because of financial and liability penalties attached for not doing so.

The Government that spends our money, not their own, and does not have to turn a profit since it subsidizes everything it does and pays for everything it does with our money and not their own doesn't care about such things. They just care about power and how they can control through that power.

Sad and disturbing days.

Originally posted by EmperorZeno
I don't really see it as frightening, you don't have to drive,

How many people don't really have to drive?
Do you know how many people wouldn't eat -
if they couldn't get to the job that they have to drive to?

I do believe that we drive too much - and would do well to simplify on all sorts of levels - but really...
It's a big world - and we are not all in the same position -

On topic -
We are slowly being boxed up to such a degree that there is the very real potential - that every time we miss a beat, make a mistake, experience the human process of growing and learning we will be punished - like little white rats in a cage - ( who also don't deserve to be tested upon)

These sorts of inventions, restrictions could prove to be of great value in a society that puts integrity, empathy and the human experience ahead of power, possession and control -
but in this society where we are now....
it spells power, possession and control.





[edit on 20-10-2009 by spinkyboo]

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


Actually the case of the FBI using onstar to spy on people without a warrant was the first I officially saw.

This was WELL before the government bailed out GM.