New OnStar feature for 09

Attention to all Bad Boy's who think they can out run the Law in a Camaro! OnStar has a new feature called Vehicle Slowdown which will be part of the 1ss and 2ss 2010 Camaro's.
http://www.onstar.com/us_english/jsp/popup/plans/svs_popup.jsp?tab=1

That is nuts! A useful tool, I just hope it isn't abused by authorities.

If you paid attention, it requires the owner to contact OnStar, not law enforcement (at least that's how I understood it). I see it as a stolen vehicle recovery tool, nothing more. And the reality is in this day and age it is difficult to outrun the law between radios and airplanes/choppers. Sure it happens, but it is difficult, much more so than years ago.
Clyde

Big Brother is watching ;)

How do I remove it?

How do I remove it?

Yea, really... I hate these features. I live in Detroit so I know I thing or two, when it comes to crime. You need to learn how to protect your car better, not onstar to save the day.

These features get abused pretty quickly, I don't want anyone or anything ever tracking me. When I'm with my car, I want me and her to be the only one knowing where were at.

Is it lawful for this type of over ride?

If you listen it says you have to subcribe to this feature, but if you have the directions feature they can tell where you are, within 10 feet

If you listen it says you have to subcribe to this feature, but if you have the directions feature they can tell where you are, within 10 feet

question for you. do they give you a code to put into the onstar to activate it? or when you subscribe it all of the sudden works? Just curious, because then law enforcement could use those two features whether you have subscribed to it or not. That is, if you do not have to do anything but call onstar.

Yea, really... I hate these features. I live in Detroit so I know I thing or two, when it comes to crime. You need to learn how to protect your car better, not onstar to save the day.

These features get abused pretty quickly, I don't want anyone or anything ever tracking me. When I'm with my car, I want me and her to be the only one knowing where were at.

They can already track you with most cell phones. How do you protect your car better, put one of those worthless siren/noisemakers on it that gets activated and ignored? Oh, I know, park it in your bedroom when you go to bed at night. I think there is a lot of "paranoia" being expressed in this thread, I think OnStar makes an excellent anti-theft device between it's tracking ability and now the engine slowdown feature.
Clyde

Is it lawful for this type of over ride?

Is it lawful to steal an automobile?
Clyde

They can already track you with most cell phones. How do you protect your car better, put one of those worthless siren/noisemakers on it that gets activated and ignored? Oh, I know, park it in your bedroom when you go to bed at night. I think there is a lot of "paranoia" being expressed in this thread, I think OnStar makes an excellent anti-theft device between it's tracking ability and now the engine slowdown feature.
Clyde

For one you have to know where to park your car, so many people are stupied and park there car in the most exposed area's. Secondly, there are always ways where you can disable your engine, but only you would know how to undisable it. Then the rims, rim locks work quite well.

With the exception of those "gone in 60 seconds" car theifs, most are terrible and if they can't hot wire or key pick your car, they'll give up and leave.

I think Onstar makes a great anti-theft device, but I don't care that they can, if I wanted onstar I would ask for it. Now Onstar is standard on so many vehicles its becoming a nusiance. I don't want it. If I crash, and I can't get to a phone, so be it... No one is going to steal my car ever without my hands around thier neck, so I don't want onstar

For one you have to know where to park your car, so many people are stupied and park there car in the most exposed area's. Secondly, there are always ways where you can disable your engine, but only you would know how to undisable it. Then the rims, rim locks work quite well.

With the exception of those "gone in 60 seconds" car theifs, most are terrible and if they can't hot wire or key pick your car, they'll give up and leave.

I think Onstar makes a great anti-theft device, but I don't care that they can, if I wanted onstar I would ask for it. Now Onstar is standard on so many vehicles its becoming a nusiance. I don't want it. If I crash, and I can't get to a phone, so be it... No one is going to steal my car ever without my hands around thier neck, so I don't want onstar

Where to park your car does not always have much choice, at my house it can be in my driveway or curbside right next to my driveway, there is no such thing as a non-exposed area at my house. If you really don't want OnStar just struggle through the first year of free service and then don't renew it, pretty simple really.
Clyde

Where to park your car does not always have much choice, at my house it can be in my driveway or curbside right next to my driveway, there is no such thig as a non-exposed area at my house. If you really don't want OnStar just struggle through the first year of free service and then don't renew it, pretty simple really.
Clyde

Most cars are not stolen when its at your property.

but w/e, if I'm gonna be free I guess I have to buy the old camaro's

Is it lawful to steal an automobile?
Clyde

No its not.

Is it lawful for a 3rd party to manipulate your car? In Mississippi your car is an extension of your home. Is there a federal or state law on the books making it lawful for 3rd party intervention on your car?

Why would someone need to slow your vehicle down unless you were being chased and not pulling over? Beats spike strips. I don't think it's as much of an issue as some people do. (Not in reference to anyone in particular, just making a statement)

No its not.

Is it lawful for a 3rd party to manipulate your car? In Mississippi your car is an extension of your home. Is there a federal or state law on the books making it lawful for 3rd party intervention on your car?

I have not seen any mention of laws challenging that concept, the 3rd party intervention takes place at the owner's request.
Clyde

No its not.

Is it lawful for a 3rd party to manipulate your car? In Mississippi your car is an extension of your home. Is there a federal or state law on the books making it lawful for 3rd party intervention on your car?

I agree.

OnStar made the news a few years ago when it was learned that the FBI and who knows what other Law agencies were tapping into the OnStar units and listening to conversations of Gangster types without the people in the car knowing any different. The technology is there, it can and will be abused! This new tech of slowing and stopping a car will be used without the driver or owners permission. It's a fact. I'm not worried about it since I don't plan on running from the cops any time in the near future. This is the Mother of All Black Boxes if you ask me, and I better receive one hell of an insurance discount for putting up with Big Brother.

I agree.

OnStar made the news a few years ago when it was learned that the FBI and who knows what other Law agencies were tapping into the OnStar units and listening to conversations of Gangster types without the people in the car knowing any different. The technology is there, it can and will be abused! This new tech of slowing and stopping a car will be used without the driver or owners permission. It's a fact. I'm not worried about it since I don't plan on running from the cops any time in the near future. This is the Mother of All Black Boxes if you ask me, and I better receive one hell of an insurance discount for putting up with Big Brother.

I certainly don't ever recall hearing that. Can you perhaps provide a link to relevant news stories?
Clyde

I agree.

OnStar made the news a few years ago when it was learned that the FBI and who knows what other Law agencies were tapping into the OnStar units and listening to conversations of Gangster types without the people in the car knowing any different. The technology is there, it can and will be abused! This new tech of slowing and stopping a car will be used without the driver or owners permission. It's a fact. I'm not worried about it since I don't plan on running from the cops any time in the near future. This is the Mother of All Black Boxes if you ask me, and I better receive one hell of an insurance discount for putting up with Big Brother.

Among the many things that came up in a Google search, this was the closest I could find to your "news" of a "few years ago".

"However, buried deep inside the OnStar system is a feature few suspected - the ability to eavesdrop on unsuspecting motorists.

The FBI found out about this passive listening feature and promptly served OnStar with a court order forcing the company to give it access. The court order the FBI gave OnStar was not something out of the Patriot Act involving international terrorism or national security but a simple criminal case.

According to court records, OnStar complied with the order but filed a protest lawsuit against the FBI.

Yet the FBI was able to enforce the original legal order and completed its surveillance because OnStar's lawsuit took nearly two years to pass through the court system.


An OnStar vehicle modem
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled in OnStar's favor. The ruling was not based on invasion-of-privacy grounds or some other legitimate constitutional basis. The FBI lost because the OnStar passive listening feature disables the emergency signal, the very life-saving call for help that the advertisements tout as the main reason to purchase the system."

That court decision is well documented on many magazines and newspapers websites as well as quite a few anti OnStar sites. You will notice that OnStar filed suit to protect their (and their users) interests and won the case. I like to see documented information rather than "it happened" or "I heard", I was not going to post links to this one since it is documented in so many places, but here is one: http://news.cnet.com/2100-1029_3-5109435.html . BTW, many of the fears posted in this thread about tracking and eavesdropping can already be accomplished quite easily with the cell phone most of you carry around, just so you know.
Clyde

Most cars are not stolen when its at your property.

Maybe where you live. I had one car stolen and it was from my driveway. My friend's GATED neighborhood averages one stolen car a month, it's just a little closer to the shady part of town. In fact one guy had his truck stolen 3 times in one year. To be honest I only know of one person who had their car stolen away from home.

About Big Brother, I'm told all new cars have a "black box" of sorts that can be used to help police investigate traffic accidents.

"BTW, many of the fears posted in this thread about tracking and eavesdropping can already be accomplished quite easily with the cell phone most of you carry around, just so you know."


I agree with that statement too. It's also a very true fact many are not aware of.

I believe this proves my original point, that with new technology brings abuse by those in power that use the tech.

I don't have a problem with it as long as it is used ONLY when the car has been reported stolen or is actively evading police. On the other hand, I wish that the police were allowed to use Apache helicopters for police chases. A Hellfire missle is a good way to end the chase without damage to innocent bystanders. Frankly I couldn't care less what happens to the puke that steals the car is just running from the police anyway.