[Petrol Head]

Originally Posted by Lazerbrainz2k3

Not a huge difference. Very small, in fact. There are plenty of people who think they're getting cool default maps and other apps on a smart phone "free" with the cost of the hardware and software, when collecting, sharing and selling that is absolutely a cost to your privacy as well.

The car doesn't know anything of consequence that your phone doesn't know, and your phone is not only able to track all the same consequential things your car tracks, but the phone tracking follows you when you leave your car behind (into the home of that known illicit substance dealer, into the motel room where your best friend's wife is waiting for you, etc.) except with high resolution cameras to potentially capture incriminating images to go along with the location and audio data.

It's entirely reasonable to expect the handful of folks in the tin foil hat crew to go figure out how to fully disable the Big Brother stuff themselves if it's that important to them, while leaving it alone and simplifying the buying experience for the overwhelming mass that is the rest of the car buying market, who have yet to experience any detriments to such data collection in their vehicles, and in many cases benefit from that collection.

If that's not enough, well, feel free to let your wallet speak for you when you go find yourself an eighties something or another instead of anything new. That'll show 'em.

If I leave my phone at home I should have every expectation that there’s no possibility of anyone tracking me. Unfortunately, even if you don’t get navigation, with OnStar you are still being tracked. That’s the big difference I am talking about.

Like I said, when I pick my car up I will not authorize OnStar activation at the dealer and furthermore I will be bringing my tools to remove the radio transponder board so the car can not communicate with the OnStar satellites at all.

It’s ridiculous that we have to do this for a car. It’s a trucking car. I buy it for transportation and the fun of driving a Camaro. No one buys a car for communications. The car companies make the naive and weak minded think they do.

Rant over