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General Motors Quits Sharing Driving Behavior With Data Brokers After Backlash

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.

Zink ,

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

toiletobserver ,

"GM decides to become a data broker"
FTFY

systemglitch ,

"for now"

Semi_Hemi_Demigod ,
@Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world avatar

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

altima_neo ,
@altima_neo@lemmy.zip avatar

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

Semi_Hemi_Demigod ,
@Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world avatar

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.

Buddahriffic ,

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.

uis ,
@uis@lemm.ee avatar

It doesn't quit collecting and storing it

Takios ,

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...

Raiderkev ,

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

jkrtn ,

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

extant ,

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

umbrella ,
@umbrella@lemmy.ml avatar

oh they pinky promised so it must be true

LordCrom ,

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

DreadPotato ,

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.

jkrtn ,

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.

DreadPotato ,

Honestly I disagree. That kind of features should absolutely be included and standard. I shouldn't have to buy 3rd party hardware to modify my car and pay for extra cellular service for it.

jkrtn ,

Customers would probably like if manufacturers include a unit that uses the standardized protocol, yes.

Are you not paying the manufacturer for the cellular service to run the climate control? That's nice but doesn't sound typical to me. I'd like to choose my own, or decline the cell service and have it only available from my wifi.

DreadPotato ,

Are you not paying the manufacturer for the cellular service to run the climate control?

No, I'm not.

I obviously would prefer open protocols and/or APIs for these things, but it should be possible without modding the car with additional hardware.

doubletwist ,

Of course you are, either it's baked into the cost of the car, or you are paying for it in personal data. So it may be hidden, but you're absolutely paying for it.

DreadPotato ,

Yeah, that kind of goes without saying...

Brkdncr ,

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.

Lifter ,

No software updates needed if there is no software to begin with...

Brkdncr ,

You can’t have things like airbags, stability control, efficient use of fuel/energy without software.

We haven’t had software-less cars for decades. As someone that works on older vehicles you don’t want to go back to that era.

Lag ,

How far away do you need to start your car? Wouldn't a regular remote start on a key fob work for most situations? Unless you're taking the bus to your car.

DreadPotato ,

I start the AC from my office which is probably 2-300m from my car with a large building between. That's far outside the range of a key FOB, but it's nice and cold in the summer (or warm on the winter) when I get to it.

Texas_Hangover ,

You probably bitch and complain about climate change while walking to your car that has been running for 20 minutes too.

DreadPotato ,

In what world does walking 2-300m take 20min? What a ridiculous hyperbole...

dankm ,

If it's cold outside it usualky takes at least 10 minutes to be warm enough to keep the windshield clear, so not all of it will be walking.

DreadPotato ,

Defrost will have the windshield clear of ice in about 3min on mine.

dankm ,

Mine will too, when it's reasonably warm out, but not below -15 or so. Below -30 it's even longer, and might not keep it clear, and I need to open windows just so moisture goes somewhere other than the windshield.,

gravitas_deficiency ,

we’re removing car play for privacy reasons!

https://media1.giphy.com/media/AssqAJR8ib5WmCNGOU/giphy.gif

Someonelol ,

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.

conciselyverbose ,

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

None.

Bdtrngl ,

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

Doug7070 ,
@Doug7070@lemmy.world avatar

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?!?

dynamojoe ,

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

northendtrooper ,

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.

friend_of_satan ,

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

SamsonSeinfelder ,

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.

eatthecake ,

In a free market the leash is consumer choice. Now show me the dumb appliance/no network of things options.

anlumo ,

Hard to do when there are no alternatives, because everyone in the market is selling the data.

treadful ,
@treadful@lemmy.zip avatar

Would be way cooler if they just stopped collecting it.

mox ,

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

ShepherdPie ,

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.

GooseFinger ,

Yep, we just gotta vote in people who will legislate it. Which means normal people who don't take bribes donations from corporations will need to run for office and beat those who do.

So basically we're doomed. We either need a modern day Teddy Roosevelt or we need to start building guillotines.

anlumo ,

Everybody who starts building guillotines gets arrested rather quickly to not disturb the current regime.

It was rather disingenuous in the US to make a system that can only sustain two parties while making the two parties exactly the same economically, while keeping the plebs busy fighting over social differences promoted by the parties (like abortion rights etc). This way there is a too large gap in the population for any kind of significant joined uprising.

Churbleyimyam ,

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

bigkahuna1986 ,

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

henfredemars , (edited )

They're legally obligated to maximize revenue for their shareholders. You betcha they'll find a way to exploit it.

EDIT: Comment rescinded for false information.

ripcord ,
@ripcord@lemmy.world avatar

And NOT getting sued, or tanking sales due to dumbass business deals is a good thing for share value.

conciselyverbose ,

That's not true.

henfredemars ,

It's not? I'm open to learning if what I've been told is wrong.

conciselyverbose , (edited )

There's a fiduciary duty to the shareholders, but a fiduciary duty doesn't mean that you're obligated to maximize profit at all costs. It just means that you're obligated to act in the interest of your shareholders.

If the board or officers use their position to push for a contract that benefits some other interest they hold at the expense of the company, that's a breach of fiduciary duty. Simply preserving the value of the company over short term gains, having a different approach to risk, or other good faith behavior don't violate fiduciary duty.

Gork ,

For the vast majority of the shareholders, profit maximization is the end goal. Nothing else matters.

conciselyverbose ,

Fiduciary duty does not require you do what they want. If the majority of stock holders don't like your management, they can replace you. Fiduciary duty basically just means that you have to act in good faith.

But your assertion also isn't true. Most shareholders are long term shareholders who want stable growth, not the short term spikes followed by hard crashes that are the result of forcibly extracting profit without paying appropriate attention to long term sustainability.

Gork ,

Apologies if my tone came off jarring. Shareholder value creation being the default position has left me a bit bitter towards the ideas of there being any actual effective corporate governance that doesn't just favor those at the very top.

https://files.catbox.moe/91u2ao.jpg

conciselyverbose ,

You were fine. There's definitely enough with influence to push that agenda, and it warrants bitterness.

I'm only correcting it in the hopes that people recognize the groups pushing for that are full of shit and just trying to extract value and leave normal shareholders holding the bag.

henfredemars ,

Thank you! I didn't realize it was more nuanced than that. I thought simply they were charged with maximizing profit. It doesn't seem to be an actual requirement to do so.

conciselyverbose ,

Fiduciary duty as a search term should get you a lot more information.

The "short term profit" argument is one certain types of investors like to push, but it's not really supported by anything and it's very often not actually in the interest of the majority of shareholders.

deegeese ,
@deegeese@sopuli.xyz avatar

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

ripcord ,
@ripcord@lemmy.world avatar

We can only hope.

pdxfed ,

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

Semi_Hemi_Demigod ,
@Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world avatar

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.

altima_neo ,
@altima_neo@lemmy.zip avatar

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

pdxfed ,

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.
anlumo ,

ActivisionBlizzard just changed the terms of games I bought nearly three decades ago…

southsamurai ,
@southsamurai@sh.itjust.works avatar

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

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