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.
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