[jlsoaz]

The question comes up for me as I read this story:

https://theintercept.com/2017/11/24...stine-trackers-found-in-popular-android-apps/
STAGGERING VARIETY OF CLANDESTINE TRACKERS FOUND IN POPULAR ANDROID APPS
Yael Grauer
November 24 2017, 4:00 a.m.

Also, if GM does share information with others, given the problems that some of us are experiencing with getting some of the information to come through, it makes me wonder if 3rd parties also then have experienced disruption in information.

 

[Aseras]

Onstar is the research and telematics division of GM. They know everything you do with the car, where you go what times and how you use it. Onstar pings the car at least once a day and collects data, miles driven, gas used, codes and tire pressure and locations and times the car was used, started and stopped.

I'm sure they sell "anonymized info" as well as use it for future vehicle research and development. It's how they settles on the range for the Volt in EV mode as the average commute distance.

 

[jlsoaz]

Onstar is the research and telematics division of GM. They know everything you do with the car, where you go what times and how you use it. Onstar pings the car at least once a day and collects data, miles driven, gas used, codes and tire pressure and locations and times the car was used, started and stopped.

I'm sure they sell "anonymized info" as well as use it for future vehicle research and development. It's how they settles on the range for the Volt in EV mode as the average commute distance.

Ok, thanks for the response. I can't assume what they do and do not sell to others, and under what conditions, but pending finding their direct statement on this, the possibility does seem to be there.

Now, if only they would make the information available *to me*. It's been 6 weeks or so since I bought the car, and the only place I've seen any of it is on the vehicle dashboard. This thread is about the difficulty some of us are having.

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?303217-VoltStats-and-missing-OnStar-EV-miles

 

[Upper5Percent]

The question comes up for me as I read this story:

https://theintercept.com/2017/11/24...stine-trackers-found-in-popular-android-apps/
STAGGERING VARIETY OF CLANDESTINE TRACKERS FOUND IN POPULAR ANDROID APPS
Yael Grauer
November 24 2017, 4:00 a.m.

Also, if GM does share information with others, given the problems that some of us are experiencing with getting some of the information to come through, it makes me wonder if 3rd parties also then have experienced disruption in information.

Pure sensationalism...every iphone app asks if they can track you so they can provide better servicing...you can always answer no...or only when active...This is so you don't have to tell Weather.com where you are every time you want to check the weather...

If you want to be concerned about something ...be aware of the fact that the phone companies ROUTINELY, without warrant, provide your phone's metrics as to where it has been to law enforcement...and this is OLD data... https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmi...ds-data-over-to-law-enforcement/#6eb4ea98767b

 

[jlsoaz]

Pure sensationalism...every iphone app asks if they can track you so they can provide better servicing...you can always answer no...or only when active...This is so you don't have to tell Weather.com where you are every time you want to check the weather...

If you want to be concerned about something ...be aware of the fact that the phone companies ROUTINELY, without warrant, provide your phone's metrics as to where it has been to law enforcement...and this is OLD data... https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmi...ds-data-over-to-law-enforcement/#6eb4ea98767b

The link you provide seems useful, and so thanks for that, but in my view your comment on the link I posted is not useful. The point is not whether technically a person can opt out. The point is more that the trackers are there well beyond any weather.com type rationale of not wanting to have to log you back in each time, that there is some strong question of whether a person can reasonably keep a handle on making sure they are opted out of the ones they don't want tracking them, and there is some strong question of why on earth some of the companies would be tracking them... that tracking is gratuitous and invasive.

 

[Upper5Percent]

The link you provide seems useful, and so thanks for that, but in my view your comment on the link I posted is not useful. The point is not whether technically a person can opt out. The point is more that the trackers are there well beyond any weather.com type rationale of not wanting to have to log you back in each time, that there is some strong question of whether a person can reasonably keep a handle on making sure they are opted out of the ones they don't want tracking them, and there is some strong question of why on earth some of the companies would be tracking them... that tracking is gratuitous and invasive.

This was commented on by the TODAY Show back in 2015 for goodness sake... https://www.today.com/money/your-smartphone-may-be-tracking-your-every-move-t17056

Companies track people because they improve their bottom line by selling data and any smartphone user is data to them...

Why do you think cookies are on every site you visit...they are gathering metrics on you

Go to Amazon/Home Depot/et al...look at an electric chain saw...I guarantee there will be ads for electric chain saws when you visit other web sites...sometimes within the hour...

 

[jlsoaz]

This was commented on by the TODAY Show back in 2015 for goodness sake... https://www.today.com/money/your-smartphone-may-be-tracking-your-every-move-t17056

Companies track people because they improve their bottom line by selling data and any smartphone user is data to them...

Why do you think cookies are on every site you visit...they are gathering metrics on you

Go to Amazon/Home Depot/et al...look at an electric chain saw...I guarantee there will be ads for electric chain saws when you visit other web sites...sometimes within the hour...

Thanks, this has distracted from my original question. So, to get this back on track:

1) "Does Remotelink or MyChevrolet app share information with others"? I guess the better way to put it would have been:
"Does OnStar in general (whether in association with the phone apps or otherwise) shares information with others?"
It's a fairly simple question. If the answer is "yes" it won't cause me to have a cow, but I'd like to see if I can get a clear answer.

2) As to going on about how everyone knows that many apps track our information and share it, and that the rationale is that they are monetizing, yes, I know this for many years now. I'm sure most of us do. Your comments do not seem to me to reflect that you have reflected on the additional points that I (and some of the articles) make that

- it is questionable whether some of the app makers are being honest in offering opt-outs (whether of location tracking or information sharing, I'm not sure generally whether the opt-outs offer just location tracking opt-out or information-sharing opt-outs).
- the level of invasiveness of the apps may go well beyond what many users realize. In some cases this may feed into whether it is realistic to being able to opt out consistently, even if they present as though it is.
- I'm not certain, but from one or two articles I read recently, there is some question as to whether the phone makers themselves (regardless of added apps) are being honest about tracking or opt-outs.

Even with all that said, yes, it does seem possible on my iphone to have some decent control over this, and I personally don't care that much about trying to opt out of every little thing, or about whether OnStar tracks my app use. However, it does seem (to me) worthwhile as a matter of principle to ask questions as time permits and generally maintain some sense of the confusing array of things I have or have not agreed.

 

[hellsop]

Thanks, this has distracted from my original question. So, to get this back on track:

1) "Does Remotelink or MyChevrolet app share information with others"? I guess the better way to put it would have been:
"Does OnStar in general (whether in association with the phone apps or otherwise) shares information with others?"
It's a fairly simple question. If the answer is "yes" it won't cause me to have a cow, but I'd like to see if I can get a clear answer.

Well that's trivial to answer: Yes they do. Or would if someone offered to deal. See the "Sharing" bullet at https://www.onstar.com/us/en/footer-links/privacy-policy.html

2) As to going on about how everyone knows that many apps track our information and share it, and that the rationale is that they are monetizing, yes, I know this for many years now. I'm sure most of us do. Your comments do not seem to me to reflect that you have reflected on the additional points that I (and some of the articles) make that

- it is questionable whether some of the app makers are being honest in offering opt-outs (whether of location tracking or information sharing, I'm not sure generally whether the opt-outs offer just location tracking opt-out or information-sharing opt-outs).
- the level of invasiveness of the apps may go well beyond what many users realize. In some cases this may feed into whether it is realistic to being able to opt out consistently, even if they present as though it is.
- I'm not certain, but from one or two articles I read recently, there is some question as to whether the phone makers themselves (regardless of added apps) are being honest about tracking or opt-outs.

Even with all that said, yes, it does seem possible on my iphone to have some decent control over this, and I personally don't care that much about trying to opt out of every little thing, or about whether OnStar tracks my app use. However, it does seem (to me) worthwhile as a matter of principle to ask questions as time permits and generally maintain some sense of the confusing array of things I have or have not agreed.

Almost all of those orgs sharing information about customers have both made notification that they do this and gotten concurrence from their customers to do so. It probably wasn't INFORMED concurrence in that people click "ACCEPT" on any agreement that an app or web page sticks under their noses, but the thing that they're accepting SAYS that they were informed and that's all the lawyers care about.

 

[mikem132]

Not sure. Let me ask Alexa.........