Big Brother
Every time my wife urges me to look into getting OnStar, the digital, computerized communications device installed in many newer-model General Motors vehicles, I have resisted.
Yes, I know; I’ve heard the tear-jerk ads on the radio with the plaintive voices of supposedly real wives, mothers, and metro-sexual-sounding men fearing for their lives because they’ve locked themselves out of their cars and have called OnStar so someone can get them out of the jam into which they’ve put themselves. Still, I’ve not been convinced the loss of privacy is worth the remote possibility that I would find myself in a life-threatening situation from which the only possible salvation would be my ability to reach out and touch an OnStar employee.
Now, even my wife agrees that OnStar — or similar tracking devices installed in non-GM vehicles — would be a really bad idea. What changed her mind? In addition to the irrefutable eloquence of my arguments, it was a recent story, tucked away in an Internet news service, describing a recent federal court decision that confirms what my own conspiratorial-oriented mind always suspected was true. The FBI and other police agencies have been using these factory-installed tracking systems as a way to eavesdrop on passengers in vehicles, without the folks in the car even knowing the government was listening to their conversations! Unbelievable, you scoff? Nope, it’s as real as the genetically engineered smells automobile manufacturers are now putting into their cars.
December 4th, 2003 at 10:19 am
While I agree that the unfortunate by-product of locking out the outgoing emergency communication while the FBI is listening in is a Very Bad Thing, if they have a court order and go through the proper channels and have a Very Good Reason for needing to “wiretap” the OnStar System I don’t see a real problem with it – anymore than I have a problem with wiretaps in general.
I do think the public should be made aware that the Fibby’s can and have been doing this and the public needs to be assured that everything checks out within the limits of the law but at first glance this is not as bad as it sounds.
December 4th, 2003 at 10:28 am
Barry, that is fine if the FBI agents were honest. But they tend to get a bit overzealous when investigating.
December 4th, 2003 at 10:46 am
Why don’t you just make your own? If there is not any regular wireless data coverage in your area use the war-driving method to automatically find open hotspots and transmit your GPS data back to your home server. Backup with mobile phone text messaging in case of emergencies (all the time if you don’t mind the bill). Have home system call cops/fire/etc in case of an emergency.
If you want to get real fancy you can wire it up to the girley electric door locks and call your home computer to unlock your vehicle.
No, you don’t need a soldering iron, but it can help.
December 4th, 2003 at 11:58 am
Wow. I knew the government could use it to track people around, but I wasn’t aware they used it to eavesdrop.
December 4th, 2003 at 1:14 pm
Barry:
…if they have a court order and go through the proper channels…
But you’re forgetting that thanks to USA PATRIOT, they needn’t bother with “proper channels” any more.
December 4th, 2003 at 2:39 pm
The Patriot Act amends the Federal criminal code to authorize the interception of wire, oral, and electronic communications for the production of evidence of: (1) specified chemical weapons or terrorism offenses; and (2) computer fraud and abuse.
In all other cases existing Federal criminal code applies, meaning they would need a warrant.
Granted, that doesn’t protect us from unauthorized/illegal surveillance, but it doesn’t make it legal for the government to listen to whomever whenever they want.
That being said, I’m not ever going to give them the opportunity as OnStar won’t be in any vehicle I purchase. I don’t trust anyone.
December 5th, 2003 at 12:37 pm
I seem to remember Uncle posting a story a while back about PATRIOT being used to go after some people who had nothing at all to do with terrorism. But I don’t remember the specifics.
December 18th, 2003 at 12:04 am
Does that Onstar thing have an OFF switch, or is it like the “daytime running lights”?