OnStar

Discussion in 'Freedom and Liberty' started by CATO, Sep 23, 2011.


  1. CATO

    CATO Monkey+++

    Gator 45/70 likes this.
  2. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    One of the advantages of owning

    an old technology junker.....is that it won't betray where my caches are likely to be found.....if i was to cache anything.
     
    Sapper John likes this.
  3. TnAndy

    TnAndy Senior Member Founding Member

    And the HOOT is folks actually PAY a monthly service fee for the privilege of being tracked and having their info sold to every Tom, Dick and Harry that wants to buy it...........
     
  4. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    It propably won't be long before this is required equipment on all new cars much like seatbelts and airbags....
     
  5. CATO

    CATO Monkey+++

  6. Alpha Dog

    Alpha Dog survival of the breed

    True I didn't know it until few a years ago I was working an investigation with some Feds and they got a search warrant and used On-Star that had been out of service for years. They can turn it on and listen to the conversatations with in the vehicle. Also any cell phone with blue tooth I have been told that you can use a laptop and if the blue tooth is turned on you can search for devices lock into the blue tooth and listen to the conversation. Im not for sure about that but I keep the bluetooth on my phone deactivate at all time unless Im using it. Then after use I deactivate it. Nothing would surprise me about the smart phones I use a blackberry it is a very useful tool in my job. I know that mine is alot smarter than I am. With on star and all phones you can be tracked they have chips in them said to be used for missing person's or missing children given if used for that purpose it can work and work well. I think that it is just another way that Big Brother has used a cause that hits home like missing children to put a tool to use to keep tabs on us. Kind of like all the invasions of our rights that came under homeland security, oh well this will not be used on Americans this will be used to monitor terroist activities. On my vehicles Ive taken the On-Star out all the way all wires, and the unit it's self and placed in a dumpster
     
  7. CATO

    CATO Monkey+++

    I think it is a certainty that your phone can be used as a tracking device and be used as a microphone/bug (even when not on) to eavesdrop on conversations, unless you take out the battery, which on an iPhone is not easy.
     
  8. -06

    -06 Monkey+++

    Removing the battery DOES NOT "kill" the phone. It has a backup to retain memory. I never use words that might raise the ire of the alphabet boys. I have no "fast shooters" or anything that might make "loud noises" but still do not want any unwanted folks nosing around. They can find anything they want or just lie about it and harass someone.
     
    Alpha Dog likes this.
  9. gunbartender

    gunbartender Monkey+++

    i have thought they could do this from day one. but then again, i don't trust the .gov
     
  10. Sapper John

    Sapper John Analog Monkey in a Digital World

    And folks wonder why I still prefer to drive around in my old,beat up, CJ-7...
     
    VisuTrac likes this.
  11. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    The actual first release of this information was just a bit overblown, as to the capability of outsiders to track the iPhone/iPad units. Basically it wasn't the built in GPS, that was being tracked and logged into the Units themselves, it was the Cellsites and WiFi Sites that the phone could see while in the Operating Mode. The Log Files that the phone kept, were NOT intended to be stored for more than a day or two, and a BUG in the firmware, was allowing this file to store much longer periods. That Bug has been FIXED. The Log File is a First in, Last Out File, now Invisible, Encrypted, and NOT Backed up to an external location as it was before. If the Unit is put in AirPlane Mode, ALL Cellular and WiFi Chips are un-powerd, as is the GPS chip. This is the condition that I keep my iPAD2 in, as does my wife with her iPhone4, when we are in Stealth Operational Mode. OnStar is basically just a Cellular Phone, that is powered whenever the the car is Powered by the Battery. The only way to kill it is to disconnect the Battery, or rip it out completely. I would NEVER own a vehicle, with OnStar, running in it. When I rented such a vehicle, the first thing I did after leaving the Rental Place, was to pull the Fuse to it and unplug the Box, from the Vehicle Power Buss. Then just before we turned it back in, I plugged it back in, and reinstalled the fuse. It took the Rental Outfit a while to figure out, why the Downloaded Record was blank for the Month we had the car. I told them exactly why, it was blank, and exactly why, I had done it. They just looked at me like I was a Zombie, and I just SMILED...... ..... YMMV.....
     
  12. CATO

    CATO Monkey+++

    Bruce,

    I meant that post about the iPhone as a joke...since I was sending it from an iPhone (probably driving around in my OnStar-equiped Suburban too). (y)
     
  13. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    That's ok Guit.... I just like to give Good Information, so folks can make up their OWN Minds, rather that just live by what Talking Heads, have to say... in one minute Sound Bytes.
     
  14. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    I'll never own a vehicle with "On-Snitch". I thought long & hard before buying my 2005 Dodge. No evesdropping devices that I know of..... I could be proven wrong in future, and then it'll be time to buy 'old school'.

    No 'smart phone' either..... just a dumb little 'pay as you go' cheapie.

    I like my devices dumber than me. Getting harder these days. ;)
     
  15. CATO

    CATO Monkey+++

  16. CATO

    CATO Monkey+++

  17. VisuTrac

    VisuTrac Ваша мать носит военные ботинки Site Supporter+++

    I've know about On-star for years. You are paying for the privilege to be spied upon. What a marketing plan.

    No trackers on me. Finally cancelled my cell phone service recently, As I only used it maybe 3 or 4 minutes every other month and most of those were junk texts received.

    If someone want's to get in touch, there is email or home/office phone. I really don't see the need of yapping on the phone while driving. There is enough distractions out there .. like drivers yapping on the phone while weaving.

    One less bill, one less possible leak of information.
    (y)
     
  18. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    I wonder how the FBI justifies the StingRays interference, with the local Cellphone Infrastructure, since that Federal Agency has NO Frequency Allocation in those Cellular Frequency Bands. It would seem to 'Me" that the FBI is treading on very Thin Ice, operating a Transmitting Device, in a Band, that they have NO Allocation for. Since they are a division of the Executive Branch, they do NOT have to abide by the FCC Rules and Regulations, HOWEVER, they DO have to abide by, and have a Frequency Allocation for those Bands from the Office of Science and Technology in the Whitehouse. Last time I check, they had no such Allocation, and therefore were operating the device, ILLEGALLY. Any information obtained by using an ILLEGAL Device, would be Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, and should be thrown out, by the Court. Search Warrant, or NO. Any use of such a Device, by any State, or Local, Law Enforcement Agency, should bring down the FCC, HARD on their Case, for using a UNLICENSED Transmitter on Frequencies not allocated to the Police Radio Service. That is a $10KUS per Day, for every Day a violation occurs and is a Felony, if convicted. I wonder if the Defense Attorney has even considered that approach, in getting the guy off? This is what happens, when you GUT the Agency, that watches the Watchers..... As I see it, the only people who can Legally operate a Stingray Device, are the Cellular Companies, themselves, and only on Bands, and in Areas, where they have specific FCC Licenses in place. Then they could, upon Court Order, collect, and turn over, any data that they were to receive from such use, to the Court, by way of the Requesting LE Agency, Federal, State, or Local, just like they do now with, WireTap Orders. Seems to "Me" that the FBI just wants to circumvent the 4th Amendment, because they have the capability to do so. ...... YMMV.....
     
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