Automotive data collection is a dirty business. Every day, thousands of people drive new cars off the lot, blissfully unaware that they’ve just forked over a grand sum to be the product in the eyes of automakers. There’s money in selling user data, and while this unscrupulous trend has been going on for years, Texas is fighting back, launching a lawsuit against GM. This could get interesting.
Oh, but the suit against GM is far from the only wild thing going on in the automotive news cycle this morning. Waymo cars are reportedly getting honky. No, that doesn’t sound right, even if it is technically accurate. Waymo autonomous cars are being unbelievably annoying, keeping people up at night by being acoustically inconsiderate machines.
In addition, DC fast charging still sucks but seems to be improving, and Chinese automaker BYD seems to be taking further steps towards launching in Canada, meaning that in time, the weirdest thing about going to Canada might not be seeing someone in a 10-gallon hat hop out of a Ram 1500 speaking fluent French and realizing that situation is perfectly normal. All of this in today’s edition of The Morning Dump.
Don’t Mess With Texas
You know how automotive data privacy is a hot topic these days? It all seems to be coming home to roost. Reuters reports that the state of Texas is suing General Motors for allegedly violating drivers’ privacy as a result of a probe into data harvesting. See, this all traces back to GM collecting driver data and selling it to LexisNexis, which then sold information on late-night trips, hard braking instances, hard acceleration, and high speeds to insurance companies so they could allegedly jack up drivers’ premiums. While GM stopped sharing data with LexisNexis earlier this year, the true fallout of that is yet to be seen. Not only is this creepy as hell, there’s a strong argument that drivers weren’t able to properly consent to this use of their data.
[Texas Attorney General Ken] Paxton said GM’s practice was for dealers to subject unwitting consumers who had just completed the stressful buying and leasing process into believing that enrolling in its OnStar diagnostic products, which collected the data, was mandatory.
“Companies are using invasive technology to violate the rights of our citizens in unthinkable ways,” Paxton said in a statement. “Our investigation revealed that General Motors has engaged in egregious business practices that violated Texans’ privacy and broke the law. We will hold them accountable.”
The suit is filed in a Montgomery County state court, and Reuters reports that Texas seeks “the destruction of improperly collected data, compensation for drivers, civil fines and other remedies for violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.” It isn’t the first suit GM has been hit with over user data, but it’s the first one filed by a government entity. This sort of legal action feels like it’s been inevitable for years, because the world of automotive data has been the wild west for far too long. Oh, and since GM isn’t the only automaker alleged to have partaken in similar practices, don’t be surprised if similar suits start cropping up all over the place. It feels like a reckoning has started, and it may not end well for automakers.
Waymo Autonomous Vehicles Are Keeping People Awake At Night
The great autonomous robotaxi experiment generally doesn’t seem to be going well, and now Waymo has found a whole new way to piss off neighborhoods. See, Automotive News reports that when these Waymo vehicles come home to roost in a rented San Francisco parking lot, they communicate the exact same way frustrated human drivers do when faced with parking wars — incessant honking. These cars reportedly park up for the night at around 4:00 a.m., which means those honks are keeping people awake.
“There’s no one for me to go down there and have a conversation with, because they’re a robotaxi,” Randol White, 57, told the Los Angeles Times. “That’s the most frustrating thing, you’re just yelling into the void.”
“It’s fucking 4 a.m.,” she says at the end of one video, sounding exhausted. “Help.”
Help indeed, because could you imagine having to live with this? Here’s a great rule: Don’t shit where you eat. Waymo needs to fix this fast, because if its cars have been vandalized before, who’s to say fed up residents won’t do it again?
DC Fast Charging Is Reportedly Getting Better Thanks To Supercharger Access
The worst part of owning a non-Tesla EV has historically been charging it outside of home or work. From various networks requiring a litany of apps to broken DC fast chargers failing to live up to expectations, it’s been rough, but it seems to be getting slightly better. The latest J.D. Power charging satisfaction survey is up, and while DC fast charging still earns a disappointing grade, satisfaction is up 10 points year-over-year, satisfaction with speed is up 34 points over 2023, and the majority of non-Tesla EV owners report enjoying the Supercharger experience. Here’s what J.D. Power’s EV experience director Brent Gruber said in a statement:
“Overall, both Tesla and non-Tesla owners find charging their vehicles at Tesla Supercharger facilities is most satisfying,” Gruber said. “Non-Tesla owners—like those with EVs from Ford or Rivian who now have access to the Supercharger network—appreciate the ability to charge at the broad network of Tesla chargers that was previously unavailable to them. Despite the recent influx of non-Tesla vehicles into the Supercharger facilities—which has caused some grumbling—Tesla owners still appreciate the ease of charging and ease of payment that the network offers. However, since the beginning of the year, J.D. Power has seen a decline in satisfaction with the availability of Superchargers among Tesla owners.”
While it’s natural for a few Tesla owners to be peeved that their little charging club isn’t as exclusive as it once was, the numbers suggest only a slight downtick in satisfaction for Tesla owners (down two points year-over-year), but satisfaction scores for non-Tesla owners using Superchargers stand 46 points higher than those of general DC fast chargers as a whole. Yeah, that seems like a worthwhile tradeoff.
However, it’s not all good news. Charger reliability only improved one percentage point over 2023, with a full 19 percent of EV owners surveyed saying they “visited a charger but were not able to charge their vehicle,” with the majority of these instances citing broken equipment. Clearly, we have a long way to go to actually make charging away from home reliable for EV owners.
BYD Is Getting Serious About Canada
Remember how, a few weeks ago, we shared that Reuters found a regulatory document in which Chinese automaker BYD registered to lobby the Canadian government? Well, it seems like things might be progressing on the potential for Chinese EV sales in Canada. As Automotive News Canada reports, BYD is attempting to procure trademarks in Canada for models like the Atto 3 crossover, the Dolphin hatchback, and the dirt-cheap Seagull subcompact.
BYD recently applied to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office for Canadian trademarks for all three of these models, along with several others, including the BYD Shark, a mid-sized plug-in hybrid pickup the company plans to build in Mexico.
However, don’t expect smooth sailing for BYD. The Canadian federal government recently concluded a consultation period for Chinese EV tariffs much like those in place in Europe and America. Is there a chance some tariffs could be put in place? Don’t rule it out, as CTV News reports that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s office has commented on the issue.
“The Deputy Prime Minister has been clear that action is necessary – such as a surtax under Section 53 of the Customs Tariff – to counter China’s intentional, state-directed policy of overcapacity,” said Freeland’s deputy communications director Katherine Cuplinskas.
“As the true defender of Canadian workers and industries, including of the auto manufacturing, steel, and aluminum sectors, our government will have more to say soon”
While I wouldn’t expect a 100 percent tariff like the one America has in place, it’s possible that any new BYDs sold in Canada might not be as cheap as expected. Still, if the brand does end up launching in Canada, we’ll be here covering both the market launch and the products. If Canada’s next, it’s only a matter of time before America’s in the crosshairs, right?
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
If you want proof that trend cycles in the postmodern era are just ever-collapsing trend cycles, you’re witnessing the butt-rock redemption arc right now. The kids know what they want, and they want Nickelback and Creed for some reason. Perhaps some of it has to do with genuine nostalgia, as the earliest members of Gen Z actually grew up with post-grunge on in the background, scoring family road trips and excursions to chain eateries. Perhaps it’s tinged with irony, as blue-collar cosplay has made it past Clear Channel pop-country radio and into every art school from New York to Los Angeles. However, maybe it’s just about feeling good in an age where record labels seem reluctant to invest in new artists. That’s right, this morning I’m listening to Creed’s unforgettable Dallas Cowboys halftime show featuring a flying dude and an almost unfathomably smooth transition from “Higher” to “My Sacrifice.” If you ever hear a kid with an “eat the rich” bumper sticker talk about how America used to be a proper country, this is exactly what they’re referring to.
The Big Question
If you own a modern car that wants to harvest your data, have you opted out? How easy or unbelievably difficult has that process been?
(Photo credits: GM, Tesla, BYD)
I suspect my 1990 Miata is collecting data on my hooning. After a spirited drive I hear the engine ticking and outgoing fax noises.
Mine sends smoke signals back to headquarters.
Wait a sec….Texas, the state that requires you to upload a copy of your license to access “The Hub” is NOW worried about privacy issues?!
I’d say the more relevant saying here is “Don’t boom where you room.” Which normally applies to cars with loud exhaust, but seems applicable here too.
If I ended up on a jury for someone caught ripping the horns out of these dumbassmobiles, I wouldn’t vote to convict. My sleep is sacred and if you interrupt it you do so at your peril (no, I don’t have kids and that’s one reason why).
Enjoy it while it lasts. It sure sounds like Elon is hellbent on ruining that like he has every other successful thing he’s touched lately.
Hot take: Creed and Nickelback are fine and don’t deserve nearly the level of hate they get. It’s an example of an internet dogpile where it became cool to hate something and so everyone jumped onboard. See also: Aztek and the prequel trilogy. Are all these things flawed? Sure. Are they the w0rst thing evarrr!!!11 the way the internet would have you believe? No. Yet I bet everyone reading this has jumped on the dogpile for at least one of them at some point.
I thought the Aztek was one of the ugliest cars I had ever seen the moment I laid eyes on it, no Internet required.
I looked at the rear suspension of the Aztek at the auto show. My first thought was “they are advertising this as an off road machine?”
Oh, so NOW Texas is worried about privacy violations, when it’s drivers on the line instead of pregnant people.
Who you elect to the state and local legislature makes a difference. Sadly, people with common sense are out numbered by the megalomaniacs in California.
“Sometimes the idiots outvote the sensible people.” ~ H. L. Mencken
Just off the top of my head, Ford, through my Mustang Mach E, can track my whereabouts and driving performance through the self-driving, onboard wi-fi, charging outlet map, automatic update and performance collection features. Heck, my last car – a Chevy – sent me emails when I needed an oil change or my tire was low. Even if I don’t subscribe to the Ford features past the trial periods (and I don’t plan to) I’m sure that I’ll never be off the grid again – not that I ever have been in the past decade. To the question about opting out, there really is no opt out if you want to try the features – and who wouldn’t try self driving, for example. I’m just hoping I don’t get billed for subscriptions. So far so good, but I’m not out of the woods yet.
Regarding the big question… If anyone is concerned about having their data harvested, the first thing they should do is get rid of their smart phones.
Consider as well that even if you ‘opt out’, how are you gonna know for sure if they aren’t gonna do it anyway?
And even if you catch them, you think the government or police will do anything? If you’re a regular non-famous/non-powerful person… LOL… as if.
And you could sue them… but then you’ll have the issue of proving monetary damages not to mention the cost of doing that.
Good luck with that.
So having said that, I’m not that concerned about having my data harvested. And that’s mainly because I’m not famous nor do I wield any real political, legal power or financial power over society. .
So I’m not someone who would have a bunch of people after my data.
HOWEVER… if I was a celebrity, politician, policeman, lawyer, judge or famously wealthy, I would be VERY concerned about my data and how it’s used because working in those fields has a high likelihood of attracting nutjobs, crooks and other undesirables.
You forgot to include Indian Chief, chief…/s
There’s another, worse factor in the lawsuit strategy, too. Even if you could prove damages, the corporation will intentionally drag out the case as long as possible hoping you run out of money or mental energy. Oh, you found one of those “you don’t pay unless we win” law firms. Sweet, so the lawyer is going to take a very nice chunk of whatever you get paid. Woohoo!
To any GR86/22+ BRZ owners theres a guy making a DCM (data collection module?) starlink delete module that stops the car from spying and phoning home. His site is called ‘Gerald Just Projects’. You unplug the DCM and plug this module in instead.
If you were to just disconnect the DCM without this module the front door speakers and overhead mic stop working.
thank you so much for this comment here.
Ignoring the easy political bait: BYD is already in the USA & Canada selling busses.
And now Canada possibly getting BYD passenger cars? I certainly trust BYD to be far better than Vinfast, and considering BYDs have been in EU for a number of year already.
What if the BYD cars are made in Hungary, would that skirt the tariffs and fall under the EU-CA free trade deal?
And, as we see above, there’s no trust in your data’s security anyway – at least sending it to China keeps it a step further from my own insurance company.
At least until your insurance company is bought by HSBC.
Well, that’s is an extra step.
Bought a CX30 earlier this year, dug into the app to turn off data collection as soon as I saw the first headline. It was really easy, but *puts on foil hat* I still have a nagging feeling that there’s another spying layer active somewhere.
Turbo? They look like a hoot.
Yep. It replaced my 2014 Mini Countryman S. Quicker and more refined for sure, at the loss of some feedback/connectedness. 5 years at 0% interest made the purchase a no-brainer.
Mazdas are underappreciated. Great choice.
Ken Paxton not sleaz………
Oh wait a sec. My gut says he wants only the Lone Star state government to have that data to stop women driving to other states to get abortions. Or lock them and their families up once they’re back. Basically turning cars into narks in the service of the state controlling women’s bodies. Just not paid narks for the car companies. Because that data was collected from a public road, dontchasee?
I enjoy the posters who rip us a new one for having the audacity to comment on politics. /s
Everything is about politics, car site or not…
Don’t say, or be gay! lol
But wear white boots anytime…
Everything is politics. The machines that we all have a common interest in are the results of politics.
I’d love to see the rational argument against pointing out this guy is a horrible person and shouldn’t be white hatted just for making a “stopped clock” style right move…
Jeez that’s quite a sentence and I hope it makes the same sense it did in my head.
Yeah, we’re not talking about any random Republican AG, we’re talking about Ken “Securities Fraud” Paxton, who sued to throw out my vote in the 2020 election (Texas v. Pennsylvania).
I think I get your point.
Plus I’m willing to bet the only reason Paxton is doing this is because he found out that data collected from his Escalade or GMC High Sierra or whatever is being used in the FBI’s felony case against him.
2024’s motto: You can’t make this stuff up
“Life will not be a bore in ‘24”.
“Companies are using invasive technology to violate the rights of our citizens in unthinkable ways,” Paxton said in a statement.
Yeah the lack of self awareness here is monumental.
This guy’s issue is that the government can’t do what a private corporation can with regard to tracking, IMO. So this is a tantrum to deny them the ability to profit off it.
The issue of data privacy needs a lot more attention. This lawsuit is doing one single good thing in shining light on a scummy practice. That said, time to retreat into the ivory tower and sniff my own farts.
I’m going to guess Paxton is doing this because GM didn’t want to play ball and give Texas data on people traveling across state lines for specific healthcare reasons.
Nailed it!
Some rock and metal bands from the 90s/2000s are worthy of redemption arcs and finally receiving their overdue critical recognition. Slipknot is finally getting their flowers. Korn and Deftones are as well. Most people have come around to recognize Linkin Park as being a very important and influential band. All of this is well and good.
…but do you know who is not deserving of a redemption arc? Fucking Creed…or any other post grunge band because they’re all generic, nearly indistinguishable from each other, forgettable, etc. Creed sucks ass. The yarling vocals were dumb when Eddie Vedder did them and got progressively more dumb and watered down with each copycat. Their lyrics are pretty much run of the mill god rock fare that they insist isn’t god rock (it is) and Mark Tremonti is one of the most overrated guitarists of this century.
Ohhhhh wow he can tremolo pick and run up and down scales really fast! MIND BLOWING! Get off my lawn. I lived through this shit. It was bad then and it’s still bad now. If anything this speaks to how lifeless rock is as a genre right now. The best thing we can do is bring CREED back? What’s next? Are we inducting Five Finger Death Punch into the rock and roll hall of fame? Are we going to critically reassess goddamn Shinedown? I’d rather listen to Alien Ant Farm’s songs that AREN’T Smooth Criminal.
Ohhh and data collection? I opted out of BlueLink the second the first couple headlines broke. I’m the furthest thing from a fan of freaking Ken Paxton but this is a great move. Hold these damn companies accountable and maybe we can get some actual laws protecting our data? That would be neato.
Deftones stays on my playlist, but literally the other day I was like “I haven’t listened to Korn since high school” and proceeded to listen to Follow the Leader in its entirety. I felt very old but also very much enjoyed it. I forgot how much I liked them.
Korn is an incredible band. When it comes to the rock genre their sense of groove is second to none. It’s legitimately really hard to write songs that are both heavy and catchy and they make it seem effortless.
I mostly have rallied against this nostalgic tide regarding the late 90’s/early 00’s butt rock revival, but I agree, Korn has always been good.
I think it’s important to go back with recalibrated ears and reassess what was actually good (and not). The results will sometimes surprise you. And no, Creed isn’t it.
I personally like Pearl Jam, though I understand listening to Eddie Vedder is tough for some, lol. Yes, the copycats are worse.
I think a lot of the Nü Metal redemption arc has been cool and good, but the worst and most cringe bands of that era are as terrible as you remember. The best bands were in fact very good but holy shit were the bad ones bad. Try listening to a band like Taproot or Head PE today without laughing.
It’s impossible. And there were 50 of those bands for every Korn, Deftones, etc. Hell I’m going to really throw out a hot take here and share my opinion that Limp Bizkit was actually a pretty good band. Fred isn’t a good vocalist and his act has always been pretty cringe but the actual band themselves are fantastic musicians.
That being said I am not here for the butt rock/post grunge revival. That’s a bridge too far. 99% of that shit is unlistenable. It wasn’t good then and it isn’t good now. The vast majority of the big butt rock bands were/are completely devoid of substance, the musicians are mediocre on their best days, the visual aspects of the genre might as well be parody, etc.
I won’t sit here and claim that there aren’t some bangers. Last Resort and Getting Away With Murder by Papa Roach absolutely rip. Wasting My Time by Default is a great song. Puddle of Mudd sucks ass but Blurry is a great song and a legitimately interesting composition. But at the end of the day it’s blind squirrels lucking into a nut or two.
Butt rock fuckin SUCKS!!
Ha 100 percent agree. There are exceptions to the rule but a lot of it is tough to listen to.
And agreed on Creed. I’ve been plenty willing to open my mind, listen and reassess, but A Bridge Too Far. Which without doing research could very well be a Creed song.
Hard agree with this take. Everyone always acted like Pearl Jam was the second coming but I could not stand Eddie Vedder’s vocals.
Talk about examples of “life ain’t fair”, right?
Layne Staley, Chris Cornell, Shannon Hoon, Bradley Nowell, Scott Weiland, Kurt Cobain, Chester Bennington, and so many more that I can’t name off the top of my head right now.
Most born in 1967 (same as me) or very close, all long gone now, all by one self destructive version of suicide or another: guns, drugs, or long term combination thereof, take your pick.
And who do we have left, the last one standing? Eddie fucking Vedder!?!? I mean no offense to him or his band or their music (a lot of good, some great) or their fans. Just that wow, out of all of it we’re left with only this?
Sure seems like there has been a lot of classic Gen-X angst resurfacing in the articles and comments here the past few days. Good to know we haven’t all gone quietly yet, and more importantly that we aren’t alone.
Stay well my friends, and listen to the good stuff – LOUD!
I’m delighted that people are finally admitting Linkin Park is good.
I thought Linkin Park was good back in the day. I still do.
I don’t think Creed and Nickelback are bad. I just don’t think of Creed and Nickelback.
Nickelback has one amazing song. ONE. The rest of their songs are essentially much worse versions of that song and assorted rock tropes. They suck, but I’ll begrudgingly enjoy How You Remind Me when it comes on.
Creed is beyond the pale. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about their music.
Creed is nostalgic in a weird way for me because it’s like “yeah that really WAS what my classmates were like” having grown up in suburban Texas in the late 90s/early 2000s.
Not super related, the other day I saw a 14 year old (guessing) with frosted tips and a Sublime t-shirt. I was like – WHAT YEAR IS IT?
Creed apparently got the band back together.
I still listen to LP daily. Somewhere in my closet is a CD case full of more LP albums than any other artist/band. 🙂
I lived through that era, turned 18 in 1998. Most of the late 90s and early to mid 2000s rock was complete dog shit. Nu Metal put me off of most rock in general for well over a decade. I took that time to discover all the incredible electronic music that was coming of age.
I’m fairly open-minded about music. I’ll lump creed in with groups like u2, limp biscuit (I don’t care to look up the spelling), maroon5, RHCP, kid rock, etc. where I largely like the instrumentals (though creed’s all sounded similar and horribly repetitive, at least for the ones I’ve heard), but don’t like the sound of the lead (or only) singer.
Specific to creed I believe they reformed without the lead singer as Altarbridge, but I can’t say I’m familiar enough with any of their songs to know if it resolved the issue of the band’s overall quality, likability, or pleasantness to listen to.
I have a Bolt EV so when saw the whole LexisNexis thing was like oh dang, but apparently mine is too old to have been doing that, yay for planned obsolescence and lack of free updates!
You can also disable the Onstar on those by pulling a fuse, some rental companies actually do that for their fleets.
I don’t know if I’ll be getting another car with Onstar(never say never, they give us a small EV truck I might go for it), and hope to curb getting any new ones that report back info as much as possible, but the tide is coming sadly.
I forget OnStar is still a thing. Why is it still a thing except for collecting data from your car? It was a fun idea back before cell phones where everywhere and navigation systems were in your pocket.
So they can charge you a subscription! If you want to do stuff from the app, remote start the car, unlock the doors, etc, you need a subscription. If when you’re in a crash and you want them to call for help, you need a subscription, if you want the car’s wifi to work off their cellular connection, you need a subscription. Problem is the basic subscription is like $15 a month, that’s more than Netflix and not even something you use every day so pretty steep.
The main idea is the crash notification, you crash and get knocked out in the middle of the woods, onstar calls 911 for you. Although phones can do that now too.
OnStar is still a thing for old people.
I thought OnStar was dead with the 3G network. It still exists???
They have 4G and 5G active. The new EVs from GM are 5G capable.
The opt-out was done for me when VAG decided to build a car in 2018 that used 3G for comms. Networks shut off at the beginning of 2022 IIRC, and I’m left with a car that can’t phone home, but I get all the benefits of AA/CP, a nice screen, and even built-in nav that still works. It’s perfect. The ultra-stupid thing is that it also has a 4G radio, but it isn’t used for anything except the paid features. SOS and the MyAudi app used 3G while Audi Connect (Google maps views, traffic, weather, in-car wifi etc) all used 4G.
They did have a recall for this to supposedly restore lost functionality, but it was an absolute joke. They installed a dongle in the OBD port called “Motion for Audi Connect”. It didn’t actually restore any of the functions of the MyAudi app. You can’t view door and window status, lock/unlock or do anything else really. It showed you how much gas you have, your battery voltage, tracked your every move and gave you a “driver score”. No thanks. I ripped it out as soon as I got home and submitted a request to delete my account.
The new home of Tesla doesn’t like vehicles collecting data?
Well, Tesla isn’t UAW, GM is, and sooo…
I’m guessing Ken Paxton drives a Chevrolet and has something to hide since this would be the first time he’s on the right side of history. Quick Google says he gets chauffeured around in a Chevy Tahoe so…..
Paxton probably saw what happened to his fellow AG up in South Dakota – hit and killed someone with his car, who was eventually impeached and kicked out of office. The South Dakota AG was driving a 2011 Ford, so he didn’t need to worry about an OEM tracking his whereabouts. Paxton probably has a newer car and doesn’t want any evidence floating around of whatever he’s up to…
https://www.courthousenews.com/south-dakota-attorney-general-thrown-out-over-deadly-hit-and-run/
Little dummies.
I have avoided installing the insurance co. tracker that plugs into the OBD2 port for this very reason. I opt of of cell phone tracking whenever I can as well.
Exactly.
Insurance Co wants to know why. Saving 40 bucks a year is not worth having Flo and the gang spying on me…
Yep
I suspect it will become far more standard in the future, unfortunately. Let Flo see your hard braking events or pay through the nose.
Whenever I have to brake hard we just stop.
And throw our extra kid onto the pavement while the boss snaps a photo.
Not going down without a fight here…
My insurance company asked if I wanted the dongle. I said that the cheapskate in me would like it, but the libertarian part said “Hell No”.
There should be no explanation in your answer.
There should also be no non-four-letter words in your response.
I once physically disconnected and removed the OnStar module from the trunk of my Pontiac G8. This was inspired by GM’s unintentionally(?) dystopian Big Brother commercials showing how they could remotely shut down a vehicle involved in a police pursuit.
It is (to my great regret) no longer so easy to remove the module. GM doesn’t advertise that they can shut people’s cars down remotely anymore, but I have no doubt they still have the capability.
Paxton would prefer this sort of treatment applied only to women & minorities, not every Texan.
Sources….or just a political diatribe on an automotive site?
TIL a single sentence is a diatribe.
Never stop learning. 😉
You should start.
Paxton is a hate-filled conservative piece of trash. His actions as Texas AG & earlier bear this out.
I don’t care what your political feelings are or what side you belong to. If you want to have political rants, there is a “German Lighting Company” site famous for that rabble. Don’t ruin this AUTOMOTIVE site with hateful political discourse.
Take the frothing leftoid bigotry somewhere else, maybe wherever Rootwyrm fucked off to. If you can’t make the adult realization that different people have different values than you, then maybe Roblox is more your speed.
When those values involve legislating against the existence of certain people based on immutable traits, I’m comfortable calling them trash.
Uh-huh. I’m sure that’s a completely 100% not-deranged and utterly honest protrayal of whatever particular bug-bear has your goat.
Just gonna put on my glasses and practice my best Maury impression.
As Americans, I think we can all agree that privacy is valuable.
Some value not telling the government about their guns, others value not telling the government about their health care.
It’s true, being opposed to security fraud and coups, I have very different values from Ken Paxton.
Nazis have different values than me. Should I respect them?
Paxton is an openly corrupt piece of human excrement that regularly abuses his power and pushes dehumanizing laws that threaten woman’s health care and privacy. He also has made repeated attempts to effectively criminalize LBGTQ people.
Given he lacks both integrity and empathy, does Paxton even have what a normal person would consider moral values?
How did Mr. Paxton get into office? He has been there 10 years. It’s not a lifetime appointment like the Supreme Court. Elect a different AG if the current one offends you. Mind you, I don’t agree with Texas’ strict abortion policy and the AG shouldn’t be involved securities fraud and similar stuff.
Touche’
I took advantage of a process by which I could request information gathered about my vehicle, but the mailed results turned up nothing. So I can’t say for sure that I’m not being monitored, but my insurance rates haven’t gone through the roof out of nowhere, so I guess I’m good?
I’d love to see an article about the experience of using the Tesla Supercharger with a non-Tesla vehicle. Would be enlightening to see how much data you have to fork over to Elmo in exchange for some juice.
So long as Ken Paxton is AG in Texas, I just assume any suit brought by the state is ridiculous BS…..but yeah, any pushback on the shady big-data industry is welcome….
Exactly, on the one hand screw GM and any other automaker that was selling our info, I hope the judgements and fines are big and painful, but on the other hand…that fucking Paxton.
I hindsight, I can forgive some Creed. But I’ve seen Nickelback live (shut up, I was tryin to get some) and they are just plain awful. Like, “how did these wanks ever get a record deal?” bad.
I went to a Journey concert in 1981.
Just to get some.
Was not worth it. YMMV.
At least Neal Schon can play a fucking guitar.
I saw Journey in ’83, and I didn’t get any either.
Of course, I was only 13 & she was 14.
Older woman. Nice.
I saw Creed and Our Lady Peace when they were on rock radio. Did land a girlfriend out of it, so I guess it was worth it. Creed was OK. Preferred Our Lady Peace.
In fairness, I also prefer Our Lady Peace. “Innocent” has always been pretty solid, with no hint of “ugh, these guys again” whenever it came on the radio.
I saw U2 on the Joshua Tree tour in ’87 at the Oakland Colosseum. This was a few days after Bono spray painted some public art in SF:
https://sfstandard.com/2022/11/14/photos-of-u2s-bono-vandalizing-an-iconic-work-of-sf-public-art/
So Bono gave a self righteous tirade on the stage about how as an artist he should be allowed to express himself or some such nonsense. He then brought the artist of that sculpture out onto the stage and had him deface the stage backdrop to make it all fair. It came across as petty, stupid and lame. That is when I lost any allure of that band.
That was Bono at his insufferable peak, and the beginning of my growing disinterest in a band I’d loved since October.
My freshman year college roommate worshipped U2 & couldn’t understand my objection to his enormous Rattle & Hum tapestry being the focal point of our dorm room.
Waiting for our resident one-wheel-drive microcar enthusiast to chime in answering the big question.
Am expecting a slightly more academical version of, ‘LOL WUT’
Wait, is that me? It sounds like it could be me. I got home last night from taking my Triumph Acclaim on the California Lemons Rally and am still tired so, um, something, something, British Leyland is welcome to whatever data they can competently gather, something, something. I’ll aim for greater academicity tomorrow.
I love Texas!
Where you are “protected” from GM.
And face possible criminal charges for leaving the state in order to end an unwanted pregnancy…
God damn! Freedom is a great thing…
Texas? Not so much.
Don’t worry, AG is also suing to “protect” us from a gun-free state fair…..
Well I feel better now…./s
I’d love it if this lawsuit’s disclosure phase reveals exactly how much GM made by selling the data to LN. If I was the Texas AG, I’d then push for treble damages.
Dang it! Did they get in the grain bins again?
Harry Mudd strikes again.
My favorite Harry Mudd episode was the one where he tried to pass off ugly women to dilithium miners. When the beauty facade was exposed the women complained how the miners had only been interested in their looks, not in their cooking or homemaking skills.
Ok, whatever Gold digger.
Won’t be shocked if it is relatively small, all things considered. The data likely gets less than a cent per data point. Companies like GM see the revenue from it as additional margin with no cost since they are already rolling the cost of such “connected” vehicles into the sale and subscription price. They get to use that data internally and also profit from it by selling externally.
What I don’t see in the Reuters article is the big thing I’m curious about…..was the data anonymized?
Even with ‘anonymized’ data, it only takes 3 or 4 data points with GPS to identify 95% of the population.
The percentage is higher when you sell that data to an insurance company. They already know your home address.