Why not On-Star?

[cavettefan]

Big Brother certainly doesn't need OnStar if they want to surveil you. Actually, OnStar probably has a lower quality of transmission compared to what is available to Big Brother these days.

But seriously, don't flatter yourself. Even post 9/11, unless you advertise your desire to be surveiled, your chances of getting watched by Big Brother are still quite low. On the other hand, OnStar is great if you are involved in an accident - emergency services are on their way before you can even think about it.

 

[brewshill2003]

I guess we could improve the unemployment problem if they hired enough people to listen in on every car equiped with Onstar. Lets get real here folks , to listen in on a private conversation requires a warrant. You have to have proable cause to get the warrant. Proable cause to believe a criminal act is being committed or about to be so. The last time I checked speeding was not a crime. Hence no warrant, no listening in. So relax no one is watching or listening to you, they do not have the people ,time or money to be bothered.

 

[cavettefan]

Actually, brewshill2003, there is a bit of a grey area regarding wireless conversations and evidence that can be introduced at trial. Back when cordless telephones were analog (and not scrambled) a drug dealer was conducting business using a cordless telephone. The constabulary recorded the deals and when they had enough, they moved on the dealer. At trial, the dealers' lawyer attempted to get the recorded conversations tossed. The judge ruled in favor of the government on the grounds that the dealer was broadcasting his conversation for anyone to hear.... Since the OnStar system is a non-encrypted analog system, there is a fairly strong argument that there is no need for a warrant to listen in on OnStar conversations.

Your comment about improving the unemployment picture could be a good idea - unless of course, they outsourced the monitoring offshore....

 

[U.P. John]

Can the system be disabled if so how?

Easy as pie...Don't pay for the subscription service. It's not free to use, you know. Costs anywhere from $250 or so up to about a grand, depending upon the plan you PURCHASE.

 

[jason marks]

They can keep onstar