this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2024
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The decision followed a New York Times report this month that G.M. had, for years, been sharing data about drivers’ mileage, braking, acceleration and speed with the insurance industry. The drivers were enrolled — some unknowingly, they said — in OnStar Smart Driver, a feature in G.M.’s internet-connected cars that collected data about how the car had been driven and promised feedback and digital badges for good driving.

If the article link contains a paywall, you can consider reading this alternative article instead: 'GM Stops Sharing Driver Data With Brokers Amid Backlash' on Ars Technica.

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[–] [email protected] 133 points 6 months ago (12 children)

Stopped sharing... until they can manage the pr? No way they're letting go of that revenue stream.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 6 months ago (2 children)

The class action lawsuit will wipe out that piddly revenue stream a hundred times over.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 6 months ago

We can only hope.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Oh sorry, Supreme Court has been working overtime the last decade to limit those. Probably thrown out.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I just bought a dryer and it had a piece of paper taped to it that said "By using this appliance you agree to have all disputes handled by third-party arbitration by the party of our choice."

For a fucking dryer.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Didn't forget refrigerator. LG has been doubling down on that bullshit

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

1, you may be able to opt out within certain purchase time depending on product, company, etc.

  1. There is a suit in CA or somewhere currently challenging the ability of appliance company to prove the notice was provided or accepted. Insane fucking companies.
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[–] [email protected] 88 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Not sharing the driving behavior.... for now. Any faucet that can be turned off can be turned on again.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 6 months ago

They're only stopping because they got caught. Once the masses move on to the next Pitch Fork event, they'll start it back up again.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago

Yup. I'll trust them when they let us turn it off and on.

[–] [email protected] 73 points 6 months ago (3 children)

They're just saying this because they got caught. They might not even actually stop doing it. And even if they do, they'll just wait until the majority has forgotten about this and quietly start doing it again...

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

Oh they'll stop.... Til everyone forgets.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

Yes. The headline definitely needs a "for now" to be accurate.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago

And you know the cars aren't going to stop generating the data either for when they decide they want it.

[–] [email protected] 52 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Would be way cooler if they just stopped collecting it.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I think fixing this problem will require making the collection illegal, with meaningful enforcement.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

Our legislators don't want that though. In fact they're currently trying to force the sale of US TikTok to a US company likely so they can collect even more data on us.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago

Would be way cooler if they couldn't collect it.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Cars shouldn't have Internet connectivity and telemetry collection at all. I don't care what "quality of life" improvements they bring, if they use it to spy on and profit off their customers after paying for the vehicle then it should be banned. I know most people don't give a shit about their privacy but when it starts affecting their wallet, they will.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago (2 children)

I don't care what "quality of life" improvements they bring,

None.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

There's plenty; they're just not for the end user.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago

What, don't you enjoy the incredible feature of your car being a rolling computer that constantly gets over the air software updates? Don't you want to experience the joy of being stuck waiting for a forced Windows update, but instead of your computer it's your car? Why would anybody not want this incredible and so clearly beneficial experience?!?

[–] [email protected] 36 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Cut the power to the OnStar module and cut the wire to the cell antenna. Cars do not need to connect to the Internet... Ever

[–] [email protected] 30 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (9 children)

IDK, the ability to remote activate climate control, start/stop charging and control charge power to match my solar power are all quite good reasons for me to have my car connected.

We should be able to have nice things without surveillance. We shouldn't refrain from these things, we should legislate so they're not allowed to collect data and share it without explicit consent.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (6 children)

That stuff should be operable on a published and standardized protocol that third-party units can easily talk to. Put in your own little control box with cellular transceiver.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Agreed. Also it reduces costs significantly if issues can be remotely inspected and fixed. Software updates regularly get sent to new vehicles that would have cost a lot of time and money to do at a dealership.

Yes, they shouldn’t be sharing your data. Yes you should be getting compensated if you opt into data sharing.

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 6 months ago

oh they pinky promised so it must be true

[–] [email protected] 28 points 5 months ago

"GM decides to become a data broker"
FTFY

[–] [email protected] 25 points 6 months ago

Suure they do. Maybe temporarily, but that won't last even if it is true.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 months ago (2 children)

I'm going to be driving my cars from 2016 and 2014 forever, aren't I?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

I'd like a resource that lists each model of car and the last year they were made without data connections, or ones that depended on subscriptions that you can just decline or easily disable. I have a car from 2013 but am wondering if I should upgrade it to a latest good model before people start preferring those and the used price goes up even more.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Nah, there's also cars like mine from 2005. Plenty of em to go around.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

To be fair I love my 2014 GTI and will probably drive it forever even if I get another car because it's just so damn fun.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago

we’re removing car play for privacy reasons!

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago

It doesn't quit collecting and storing it

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago

Well that’s a funny way to spell “make sure not to buy anything GM or OnStar” but I guess it’s still legible.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

This might be a stupid question, but this wouldn't have anything to do with a lot of onstar units not being able to connect to 4g now that 3g is being phased out, now would it?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago
[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago (2 children)

There is nothing holding them back to change their decision tomorrow or next week. there are no consumer rights or even citizen rights to their own data like the EU developed in the last 10 years. There is no leash on companies to pause or continue this behavior anytime the feel like it.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


General Motors said Friday that it had stopped sharing details about how people drove its cars with two data brokers that created risk profiles for the insurance industry.

had, for years, been sharing data about drivers’ mileage, braking, acceleration and speed with the insurance industry.

Since Wednesday, “OnStar Smart Driver customer data is no longer being shared with LexisNexis or Verisk,” a G.M.

Romeo Chicco, a Florida man whose insurance rates nearly doubled after his Cadillac collected his driving data, filed a complaint seeking class-action status against G.M., OnStar and LexisNexis this month.

An internal document, reviewed by The Times, showed that as of 2022, more than eight million vehicles were included in Smart Driver.

An employee familiar with the program said the company’s annual revenue from Smart Driver was in the low millions of dollars.


The original article contains 247 words, the summary contains 136 words. Saved 45%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

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