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.
The article is pay walled, but there’s no way they’re not selling that data. They’ll just sell it to a different middleman that isn’t technically a “data broker”.
Yeah it’s a data broker broker. Totally legit.
“We didn’t sell it to a data broker. We sold it to Jeff. Not our fault if Jeff sold it to a data broker”
promised feedback and digital badges for good driving.
“you don’t drive like a total asshole; here’s a gold star!”
Vs
“you’ve used your brakes more than once today; heres a 30% insurance rate hike”
How did this happen in the first place, and why aren’t heads rolling? This was a shockingly bad decision that caused massive damage to their brand for a comparatively small amount of money. Even if they roll this back, I just don’t trust them anymore.
Nearly all auto companies were found to collect data, not just GM. They are probably all selling that data.
Same question posed to them.
But notably the EU companies (e.g. Audi, Mercedes, BMW), while they have poor privacy scores from Mozilla, were not actively selling your data to brokers to hike your insurance rates. So there’s that.
They are. Mozilla provided a comprehensive report on several major car manufacturing corporations selling data to all kinds of brokers.
Doubt any heads will roll. I bet this feature was approved by the C-suite and board of directors. Look, we can create two revenue streams with one simple offer—get car buyers to subscribe to On Star so we can collect data, and then sell the data. All legal because nobody reads the fine print in the contract.
Why would heads roll? Those heads are being rewarded by the Boards of Directors.
Congress has no incentive to legislate this, voters don’t prioritize privacy, financial interests that benefit from the status quo include the largest companies in the USA.
. . . Because the auto industry is a true bastion of male privilege and they’re all crazy rich?
They’re above the law. And that clown show in DC isn’t going to do shit so long as republiQans have the votes to stop it.
deleted by creator
I wonder when they think is has blown over, and start selling user data again.
Sure. After certain companies decided to stop supporting a certain political party’s most vitriolic candidates over persecution of the lgbtq community, began quarterly funding again. At least I think it was over LGBTQ hate morning.
Now the other manufacturers just need to do the same.
For now.
To be resumed at the end of the month, I’m sure.
Tracked through On Star. According to the data, my use of regenerative braking makes me a hard breaker, but the pads are 70%.
Remember Rudy Russo. There is a reason car salesman were parodied back in the day. It’s because the auto industry is full of crooks and shitbags from top to bottom.
Yeah, sure. Who tf, in 2024, would believe that?
