Another article about vehicles sending data to their insurance company via Lexus Nexus

[GON]

This has been discussed before in BITOG, reference a vehicle sending driving information to insurance companies via Lexus Nexus, without the vehicle driver understanding this is happening. Yes, this occurrence is in some fine print somewhere when the owner purchased the vehicle.

This is the paragraph from the article I found most disappointing. GM misleads what they are really doing with the data from the vehicle - selling it to a third party for profit:
According to its web site, OnStar Smart Driver “provides driving insights on how you can become a smarter, safer driver” while enabling users to “earn badges by completing challenges, build on streaks specific to different driving habits and view all your data in an intuitive dashboard.”

“It felt like a betrayal,” Dahl said. “They’re taking information that I didn’t realize was going to be shared and screwing with our insurance.”

Your car is secretly spying on you and driving your insurance rates through the roof: report

Drivers of cars manufactured by GM, Ford, and others say that their insurance rates went up after the companies sent data about their driving behavior to issuers without their knowledge.

nypost.com

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

This has been discussed before in BITOG, reference a vehicle sending driving information to insurance companies via Lexus Nexus, without the vehicle driver understanding this is happening. Yes, this occurrence is in some fine print somewhere when the owner purchased the vehicle.

This is the paragraph from the article I found most disappointing. GM misleads what they are really doing with the data from the vehicle - selling it to a third party for profit:
According to its web site, OnStar Smart Driver “provides driving insights on how you can become a smarter, safer driver” while enabling users to “earn badges by completing challenges, build on streaks specific to different driving habits and view all your data in an intuitive dashboard.”

“It felt like a betrayal,” Dahl said. “They’re taking information that I didn’t realize was going to be shared and screwing with our insurance.”

Your car is secretly spying on you and driving your insurance rates through the roof: report

Drivers of cars manufactured by GM, Ford, and others say that their insurance rates went up after the companies sent data about their driving behavior to issuers without their knowledge.

nypost.com

Keywords from the article are "enrolled in the OnStar Smart Driver subscription service". People have been conditioned to no longer read the TOS and that's no excuse for being mad at GM or anyone else.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I use the State Farm drive safe beacon and they probably share some of that data. I try to drive safely and it's not a big deal to me. If you are a constant abuser of the speed limits it wouldn't be good that's for sure.

 

[GON]

I use the State Farm drive safe beacon and they probably share some of that data. I try to drive safely and it's not a big deal to me. If you are a constant abuser of the speed limits it wouldn't be good that's for sure.

I think the issue is the potential of a bait and switch in the terms and conditions. In the case of GM, the marketing is focused on one area. But in reality, GM is using onstar in part to sell information on you. No issues with that, but GM selling the data is hidden deep in the terms and conditions, not in clear language on the very first line of the 12 page terms and conditions.

Years ago, states and the federal government would sue organizations for these business practices. Full and clear disclosure is not a issue. Word smithing to mask what is really going on is a separate subject and that is what the article alleges.

If GM is selling the data to a third party, no issue. Why does GM not spell that out in clear and non tricky words if what they are doing is honorable?

It is a flag if you have to hide your true intent deep in the terms and conditions in tricky language.

 

[Pablo]

It's not how fast you are going I worry too much about, it's where you are going............

 

[cptbarkey]

Alexa isnt in my house, Ring isnt in my house, Onstar or any kind of telemetry is in my vehicles aside from GPS. Being in IT if you think companies care about your data privacy even with promises or agreements, those are nice rose colored glasses.

 

[Rat407]

I just found out vehicle manufactures are selling to insurance companies the vehicle info on how the vehicle is driven, like speeding, hard braking and such. So now rates are going be set accordingly. Also touch screens overseas are going away as of 2026. Wonder if that will follow over here. Seems Europe states it's a distraction to have a touch screen and going back to knobs and buttons. Time to go back to 2006 and older. LOL

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Yep, the story broke yesterday. GM is the main focus.



Keep supporting "the big 3" and buying that new technology, folks. Keep doing it.

 

[Tom NJ]

If you are involved in an accident, can the information on your driving at the time and sent to your insurance company (or whomever) be discoverable and used against you?

 

[Thermo1223]

Man if you only knew what your cell phone was recording or the camera on your city streets.

 

[Rat407]

All the Hellcat/Demon owners are going to go crazy. LOL

 

[D60]

If you are involved in an accident, can the information on your driving at the time and sent to your insurance company (or whomever) be discoverable and used against you?

Absolutely. They already do that with accident recorders in vehicles which look at vehicle speed and if you were on the brake or throttle at time of airbag deployment. I'm sure newer vehicles also record steering wheel angle etc (so you were swerving for your ex-wife, sir!)

In some states there have been convictions from accident data recorders.

I think all of this along with any home video systems should fall under the right against self-incrimination. Onstar and optional programs you knowingly opt in to are a different matter, though.

I risk throwing the thread sideways but Aaron Hernandez was a world class DB but his own home video footage should not have been able to be used against him.

 

[Rat407]

Man if you only knew what you cell phone was recording or the camera on your city streets.

Yeah, then we all would be in trouble if the cell phone carriers do the same thing, which is all a matter of time. Then it will not matter what vehicle you own.

 

[vpr5703]

I saw this yesterday. My immediate reaction was "Well yea. When you have a device connected to the internet and pulling telematics/telemetry, it's only a matter of time before someone in accounting gets the bright idea to sell the data."

 

[dippschtick]

The way I drive, I should get a refund.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Man if you only knew what your cell phone was recording or the camera on your city streets.

Oh, can I take my 10 year old tin foil off now?

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

It would be a pity if the telematics fuse blew.

 

[Rat407]

It would be a pity if the telematics fuse blew.

But then your new vehicle would be dead in the water since it couldn't update. Just like when Chevy introduced the new Silverado in 2018 for the 2019 model. It died on the presentation field because the update failed or was interrupted.

 

[jeepman3071]

I worked in insurance for a few years, any of these devices that share your data do not benefit you, they ALWAYS benefit the insurance company. They market them as cost saving devices/programs, when really what they are is a way for insurance companies to justify rate increases. The only possible way it would benefit you is if the data shows that your vehicle never moves and is parked inside a secured garage.

 

[KrisZ]

Once this shenanigans starts impacting people’s pockets, I’m sure a solution will come up to this issue.

If all else fails, get one of these, but for your car.