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Their previous (and now illegal) idea was to establish a suspect's whereabouts at a given time and thus to show that he was visiting places where a crime likely

Their previous (and now illegal) idea was to establish a suspect's whereabouts at a given time and thus to show that he was visiting places where a crime likely was committed. Now that doesn't work unless they assign agents to follow him, for precisely the reason you specify: it's an illegal search to enter their property (automobile) and attach the GPS tracking device. Cell phone records, while controversial, are generally business records of the wireless telco and thus don't always enjoy the same protection. Personally, I'd like to see them get similar requirements for disclosure to law enforcement, but in the current political climate that seems unlikely.

Drbble 15y ago
Isn't that like saying that your car's movements records of its movements are business records of the manufacturer, or of OnStar, and subject to subpoena?
- kylemaxwell 15y ago
  Yeah, the question of OnStar and similar services is still up for debate. I have a bad feeling they'll be treated like cell phone records.
- newman314 15y ago
  OnStar or undocumented GSM systems in Tesla... See http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3619088 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3619088 and http://theunderstatement.com/post/18030062041/its-a-brick-tesla-motors-devastating-design http://theunderstatement.com/post/18030062041/its-a-brick-te... (under Prevention Measures). "After the first 500 Roadsters, Tesla added a remote monitoring system to the vehicles, connecting through AT&T’s GSM-based cellular network. Tesla uses this system to monitor various vehicle metrics including the battery charge levels, as long as the vehicle has the GSM connection activated4 and is within range of AT&T’s network. According to the Tesla service manager, Tesla has used this information on multiple occasions to proactively telephone customers to warn them when their Roadster’s battery was dangerously low. In at least one case, Tesla went even further. The Tesla service manager admitted that, unable to contact an owner by phone, Tesla remotely activated a dying vehicle’s GPS to determine its location and then dispatched Tesla staff to go there. It is not clear if Tesla had obtained this owner’s consent to allow this tracking5, or if the owner is even aware that his vehicle had been tracked. Further, the service manager acknowledged that this use of tracking was not something they generally tell customers about. Going to these lengths could be seen as customer service, but it would also seem to fit with an internal awareness at Tesla of the gravity of the “bricking” problem, and the potentially disastrous public relations and sales fallout that could result from it becoming more broadly known."

Drbble 15y ago

Isn't that like saying that your car's movements records of its movements are business records of the manufacturer, or of OnStar, and subject to subpoena?

kylemaxwell 15y ago
Yeah, the question of OnStar and similar services is still up for debate. I have a bad feeling they'll be treated like cell phone records.
newman314 15y ago
OnStar or undocumented GSM systems in Tesla... See http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3619088 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3619088 and http://theunderstatement.com/post/18030062041/its-a-brick-tesla-motors-devastating-design http://theunderstatement.com/post/18030062041/its-a-brick-te... (under Prevention Measures). "After the first 500 Roadsters, Tesla added a remote monitoring system to the vehicles, connecting through AT&T’s GSM-based cellular network. Tesla uses this system to monitor various vehicle metrics including the battery charge levels, as long as the vehicle has the GSM connection activated4 and is within range of AT&T’s network. According to the Tesla service manager, Tesla has used this information on multiple occasions to proactively telephone customers to warn them when their Roadster’s battery was dangerously low. In at least one case, Tesla went even further. The Tesla service manager admitted that, unable to contact an owner by phone, Tesla remotely activated a dying vehicle’s GPS to determine its location and then dispatched Tesla staff to go there. It is not clear if Tesla had obtained this owner’s consent to allow this tracking5, or if the owner is even aware that his vehicle had been tracked. Further, the service manager acknowledged that this use of tracking was not something they generally tell customers about. Going to these lengths could be seen as customer service, but it would also seem to fit with an internal awareness at Tesla of the gravity of the “bricking” problem, and the potentially disastrous public relations and sales fallout that could result from it becoming more broadly known."