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Your safety and security is our top priority and we respect how important your information is to you and your family. That is why OnStar is dedicated to the responsible handling of your information. We want you to understand our privacy practices, specifically, what information we gather, how that information is used, with whom we share that information and what we do to protect it. We are committed to following our privacy practices and to complying with the law.
This privacy statement applies to personal information we collect about U.S. customers as well as any others who use an OnStar equipped car or may be involved in an OnStar service event. This privacy statement covers information we collect through your use of our website as well as through your communications with us through any other means. Please note that it is your responsibility to advise all occupants of your car (including other drivers) how information about them may be collected, used, or disclosed by OnStar.
Canadian residents click here.
What Information does OnStar collect?
The types of information we may collect about you include:
Except where we are not required to do so under applicable law, we will notify you and obtain your consent before we collect other information about you.
We may also collect the following information from your car:
If you use Hands Free Calling minutes, we may collect certain Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI). The CPNI that we collect may include call detail records, the number of minutes purchased, the date minutes were purchased, the number of remaining minutes, and their expiration date. We do not share your CPNI information with third parties for their marketing purposes.
How does OnStar get my information?
OnStar collects information from you and your car in several different ways, including:
Except where we are not required to do so under applicable law, we will notify you and obtain your consent before we collect information about you in any other way.
Does OnStar record my conversations?
We may record and monitor conversations by you or others from your car with us, with emergency service providers, with the police, or third parties to maintain or improve the quality of OnStar service, for training purposes, or to promote and provide OnStar service. Please note that our OnStar Advisors may also remain on the line if they conference in a third party, such as dealership personnel to assist in completing a service request. These third parties may also record and monitor your conversations. We may also randomly monitor your interactions with OnStar’s automated services such as OnStar Virtual Advisor for quality improvement purposes.
How does OnStar use my information?
OnStar uses your information for various purposes including:
We may also use your information to send you important Car or OnStar service-related messages through the OnStar system in your Car. Learn more
Except where we are not required to do so under applicable law, we will notify you and obtain your consent before we use information about you in any other way.
With whom does OnStar share my information?
We may share the information we collect with our service providers so that they can provide services to us. This would include sharing your information with roadside assistance providers, emergency service providers, the police, our wireless service providers, credit card processors, data management companies and others as may be required, to deliver the OnStar services. We may also share information we collect about you or your car as required by law, or to protect our rights or property or the safety of you or others.
We may also share information we collect about you or your car with the following (this does not include the sharing of credit card information or of location or speed information as described in this statement):
OTHER THAN AS STATED IN THIS PRIVACY STATEMENT, ONSTAR WILL NOT SELL, RENT, OR OTHERWISE DISCLOSE INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOU OR YOUR CAR TO THIRD PARTIES FOR THEIR INDEPENDENT USE WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT.
*Please note: the maker of your car may obtain information from your car independently from OnStar. Please refer to your owner’s manual and car maker’s privacy statement for additional information.
Does OnStar use or share “aggregate” information?
OnStar may collect information from you or your car, anonymize that information, and use it with similar anonymized information obtained from other individuals or their cars (“aggregate information”). For example, we may use aggregate service information to determine overall use of OnStar services or for statistical research conducted by or with third parties and aggregate ignition on/off cycles and approximate speed data (as calculated from GPS data) to better understand car usage patterns in support of product and service development decisions. No information that will identify you or your car will be included in any aggregate information. OnStar may share aggregate information with any third party for any purpose.
Do I have a choice in how my information is used or shared?
If you would like to limit the permitted uses or disclosures made of your personal information (other than those required or permitted by applicable law) or would like further information, you may contact us by calling 1-888-4ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827) or TTY 1-877-248-2080.
Due to the nature of the OnStar services, choice as to how your information will be used or shared may not always be possible. For example, in the event of an accident, we may not have the opportunity to provide you with a choice as to whether or not we use your information to contact emergency service providers.
Can I choose my communication preferences?
You may limit some of the permitted marketing or other secondary uses of your information by contacting us and requesting to be placed on our do-not-contact lists (mail, email, telephone), so you won’t receive marketing materials from us. If you are a current OnStar subscriber, and request to be placed on our do-not-contact list, we may continue to provide you with information about any safety and product recalls and notices regarding payment for, or deactivation of, your services. Once your name is restricted from contact, you will not otherwise receive future marketing offers from OnStar. However, if you contact us to request information about OnStar, you will receive information regarding your request, regardless of your contact status. Click here to view our Do Not Call Policy.
We may send you important Car or OnStar service-related messages through the OnStar system in your Car. These in-vehicle messages enable us to provide you with information relating to things such as service or account issues or to provide you with notices regarding the deactivation of your OnStar service. You may choose not to receive these messages by contacting us and asking to be removed from this messaging list.
Do I have access to my information?
If you would like to access or ensure accuracy of your personal information, please contact an OnStar Advisor from your car, or by calling 1-888-4ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827) or TTY 1-877-248-2080 or by visiting our website at www.onstar.com.
Can I obtain a copy of my information or any service event?
OnStar is not required to release any audio or physical records that are created as part of the OnStar service without a subpoena (unless otherwise required by law).
What does OnStar do to safeguard my information?
OnStar implements and maintains technical, physical, and administrative safeguards designed to protect the security and confidentiality of customer information in OnStar's possession from theft, loss, misuse, improper distribution or alteration. Sensitive information, such as credit card information, is encrypted when submitted through our websites.
OnStar provides service to your car through wireless networks. Although it is illegal for unauthorized people to intercept your calls, such interceptions of wireless communications can occur.
In addition, OnStar may require a Personal Identification Number, or PIN, to help identify authorized users when, for example, requesting Remote Door Unlocks and for some account maintenance services.
Does OnStar use “Cookies” or other online tracking technologies?
We may use “cookies” and other tracking devices on our websites. Using cookies on our sites provides benefits to you, such as allowing you to maintain your account login information between visits, or maintaining your session information, such as your car type. The use of cookies also allows us to measure site activity to provide a better user experience. Cookies and other tracking devices may be used to tell us the time and length of your visit, the pages you look at on our site, the site you visited just before coming to ours, and the name of your Internet service provider. You may elect to refuse cookies. Please refer to your browser’s Help instructions to learn more about cookies and how to manage their use.
We may also use transparent image files to monitor your journey around a single website or collection of sites. These web beacons may be used in association with cookies to understand how visitors interact with the pages and content on the pages of our website. OnStar uses web beacons to count and recognize users traveling to and from our site. The beacon allows OnStar to recognize you to enable personalization of your visit and to make it more user-friendly.
What can I do if I have a question not answered here?
If you have a more specific question regarding your privacy or our privacy practices, contact us via email at PrivacyManager@onstar.com, write us c/o Privacy Manager, P.O. Box 430627, Pontiac, Michigan 48343, push your blue button and speak to an advisor or call us at 1-877-299-1372.
What do I do if I forget my PIN or need to change my PIN?
You can change your PIN or add other authorized users of your car onto your account with their own PIN at any time by contacting an OnStar advisor from your car, calling 1-888-4-ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827) or TTY 1-877-248-2080. To inquire about a forgotten PIN, contact us at the numbers above or email us at ContactUs@onstar.com or TTY@onstar.com to obtain your PIN by mail.
OnStar does not continuously or routinely monitor or track the location or speed of your car.
OnStar only knows the location of your car or the approximate speed of your car, as calculated from GPS data, when:
ONSTAR WILL NOT USE, SHARE, OR OTHERWISE DISCLOSE YOUR LOCATION OR SPEED INFORMATION EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY STATED IN THIS PRIVACY STATEMENT.
OnStar does not listen to or monitor conversations in your car without notice to you.
It is not possible for OnStar to listen to or monitor conversations in your car without notice to you. When an advisor calls into your car, the following will occur:
OnStar intentionally developed this functionality so that our advisors cannot override it. In addition, calls through the OnStar system are normally audible through stereo speakers, and cars programmed with text display capabilities will show an indicator of a connection to OnStar on the driver’s instrument panel. Moreover, OnStar’s policy requires advisors to announce their presence immediately upon establishing a call into your car.
Your car may be equipped with Stolen Vehicle Slowdown or Ignition Block capability.
Your car may have Stolen Vehicle Slowdown capability that enables OnStar, in connection with Stolen Vehicle Assistance services,to slow down your car remotely to assist law enforcement in its recovery. OnStar may also slow down your car if required by law or as required to protect our rights or property or the safety of you or others. If you don't want Stolen Vehicle Slowdown capability on your car, you must contact OnStar by pressing the blue OnStar button in your car and requesting that this capability be disabled. If you choose to disable this capability, it will not be available under any circumstances and can only be re-enabled at an authorized car dealership at your expense.
Your car may also have Ignition Block capability that enables OnStar, in connection with Stolen Vehicle Assistance services, to send a signal to prevent your car from starting the next time that someone attempts to start it. OnStar may also disable the ignition of your car if required by law or as required to protect our rights or property or the safety of you or others.
Supplemental Information for California Residents
Your California Privacy Rights: California privacy law requires us to provide California residents with specific disclosures about our privacy practices, including telling you about the information we share with other third parties for their marketing purposes. You may request a copy of this information on an annual basis by contacting us.
How will I know if OnStar updates its Privacy Statement?
We may update our privacy statement on the first day of a calendar quarter to reflect new services or changes to our business and will include the date of the last revision at the top of the statement. We advise you to check onstar.com for changes to this privacy statement periodically.
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