Posted on 10/21/2009 7:38:25 PM PDT by Gondring
Edited on 10/21/2009 7:43:10 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
When two Visalia, Calif., police officers swung their cruisers behind a sport utility vehicle that had been carjacked at gunpoint early Sunday, they prepared for a dangerous high-speed chase.
The 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe roared away with officers in pursuit, but shortly after the suspect made a right turn, operators at General Motors Co.'s OnStar service sent a command that electronically disabled the gas pedal and the SUV gradually came to a halt.
(Excerpt) Read more at fox13now.com ...
Second, see http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2148244/posts from 2008, and more info about the system.
Third, see video report on this from LA's NBC 4: On-Star Shuts Down Car in NorCal Police Pursuit
Fourth, I think the implementation is better than many FReepers feared, yet the potential for abuse in an all-out out-of-control government situation is rather scary. It's too bad that we have to be cautious with our government, but I think that's the nature of reality.
Of course, OnStar itself doesn't work for you if you're a good ol' boy or Cajun... and then there's the wonderful BlondeStar...
...though personally, I'll take the Trunk Monkey.
Gotta love OnStar.
This is cool, but why would it take 16 minutes? Were they verifying records, talking to LEO, or what?
After hearing about all those evil SUVs deliberately killing and maiming innocent people, finally we get to hear about one using it’s powers for good. About time.
The links you provided also had a segment on Miss Teen South Carolina responding to a question.....talk about dumb.
Because it has been proven that OnStar can just click and listen in without the user realizing it.....
No, thanks....
I will not voluntarily have one of these devices in anything I drive.
As much as I love this story, ...
How does an ad for GM make it into the news disguised as a news story?
Oh... wait... Government Motors, State Controlled Liberal Media...I get it.
Where was this proven? I have OnStar.
Ping to those on earlier thread. Apologies if not interested in this followup.
For the owner to call OnStar?
You might object to having conversations monitored, but you don't mind having the whole rig shut down?
A couple years ago, a local radio talker who owned a GM vehicle with OnStar, made a series of calls to OS and was able to finally get them to admit that they, indeed, had the ability and technology to secretly listen in.
Not that they would ever do it.....
Believe it or don’t.....
bump
“As much as I love this story, ...
How does an ad for GM make it into the news disguised as a news story?
Oh... wait... Government Motors, State Controlled Liberal Media...I get it.”
Actually this story meets my definition of news. It is something new, happening for the first time. That’s unlike the never-ending stories about how the police will be out in force looking for drunk drivers, non-seat belt drivers, kids not in car seats (or booster seats, if under 25 years old), etc.
I ask who proved my conservations could be monitored, I've never heard this before.
Yes, if my car has been hijacked I want the police to shut my vehicle down and hijacker caught.
I never intend to be fleeing the police, so why should that bother me?
I’ve watched too many “crack-lease” “stolen” vehicle incidents turn into fatalities, often times killing the junkie behind the wheel (no real loss, there) but sometimes taking out a pedestrian, motorist, or cop.
Problem is, it will take several more “cash for clunkers” deals to get the older vehicles off the roads. And by then the bad guys will have figured out how to disable On-Star.
and was able to finally get them to admit that they, indeed, had the ability and technology to secretly listen in.Have you never heard of CALEA?
Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA)INTRODUCTION
In response to concerns that emerging technologies such as digital and wireless communications were making it increasingly difficult for law enforcement agencies to execute authorized surveillance, Congress enacted CALEA on October 25, 1994.
CALEA was intended to preserve the ability of law enforcement agencies to conduct electronic surveillance by requiring that telecommunications carriers and manufacturers of telecommunications equipment modify and design their equipment, facilities, and services to ensure that they have the necessary surveillance capabilities.
Common carriers, facilities-based broadband Internet access providers, and providers of interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service – all three types of entities are defined to be “telecommunications carriers” for purposes of CALEA section 102, 47 U.S.C. § 1001 – must comply with the CALEA obligations set forth in CALEA section 103, 47 U.S.C. § 1002. See CALEA First Report and Order (rel. Sept. 23, 2005). .
I wasn’t disbelieving you. Just didn’t know it was possible and wondered who proved it could be. Okay?
Like maybe something as simple as putting a tin-foil cap over the external antenna? Or a small low-powered jammer on the same frequency? (similar to existing cell phone jammers)
I'm glad they can use On Star for things like this. However, the potential for abuses is also great. I have absolutely no doubt OS and by extension the government or anyone else in power can at any time tell exactly where an OS vehicle is, and listen in on conversations inside the vehicle. If they were ever caught, I'm sure they would simply say they were investigating a technical glitch, not performing an illegal search.
I was fortunate enough to be listening on that particular day and was mildly surprised to hear that it could be done...
Just mildly....
I didnt know that Onstar could do that. Can they really listen in anytime? How?
Well, according to the world's tyrants, if you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear.
I have OnStar, and I will continue to use it. Using the logic of gov’t listening in, they could monitor my cell phone or house phone if they wanted, but I choose to keep both. Also, I bought the car knowing full well that it was equipped with OnStar, so can hardly complain about the features. Anyone not wanting it can simply not buy it or disable it. I will join the ruckus when it is required by law to have OnStar or a similar system, that would be outrageous.
As an aside, I had a Lo-Jack equipped vehicle stolen, and my husband and I located the car by driving around looking for it before the police assisted by LoJack could do so. I was not overly impressed with that feature.
Was that a serious question?
They put it in your vehicle....
They know how it works.
There was a conflict between the Calcutta and the Mumbai operators as to whom was going to handle the call...
Ok..we had Onstar in our last GMC truck, which we used to haul our trailer all over North America. They can unlock your doors, find the car if stolen(gps feedback) and turn on the microphone on the system to hear what people are saying..like after it reports and accident.
If you buy an Onstar equiped vehicle..this is all possible.
No question. We used the unlock feature.
Now if the govt requires these features and mileage feedback to charge taxes..I will oppose it. Otherwise the features are something you accept when you buy the product.
And yes..they even record service events..high water temp, low oil pressure etc. They probably could reprogram your engine control if the wanted to.
I like the device used up here in the Redwoods a couple of months ago where LEO’s were chasing a Jeep Cherokee in a raging gun battle and the CHP was able to deploy a spike strip on 299 which deflated some tires. The driver deliberately turned left and launched it over a berm and off a cliff at the same time shooting and killing his partner in crime. They were being pursued because they shot up a house in McKinleyville and stole their dope and money.
Did anyone see Pot City a couple of nights ago on A&E???
Uh... wiretaps aren't exactly a new thing.
I think if one is parnoid enough they should know that you only have to pull a couple of fuses to diable it.
Anyone listening to Glenn Beck? Government Motors connection with On Star. Am I becoming an official tinfoil hat person?
Glenn Beck just did a radio segment on this...
Said he sold all of his GM vehicles in the last few months, now owns only “foreign” cars...told the salesman he wanted NO OnStar in any of his future vehicles. The salesman replied, “you don’t know how many of our customers in the last year have told us that”.
Hmmmm....
I like that approach too, except we don’t have cliffs.
Well that could explain YOU’RE problem. NO CLIFFS NO RAIN?
Hey, we had rain almost all night, don’t know how much.
Outbands from the pacific hurricane mixing with a front. We needed the rain, but the last time we had a storm and a norther in ‘98, we set a 500 year flood record.
They have done it, and it has been used to put bad people in jail:
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=78062
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Nov-19-Wed-2003/news/22620787.html
They can also turn your cell phone into a monitoring device by remotely updating the firmware.
All fine and good for law enforcement, but what happens when these toys fall into the hands of rogue individuals or governments?
Maybe the Car Czar can deflate tires of those on a dangerous course headed straight for a dangerous tea party.
Precisely.....
Last time I checked, there aren't exactly a lot of wires around to tap anymore.
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