Remove SIM Card from 2020 Silverado 3500

RGDD · January 14, 2021

I do a lot with data security. Today I learned something new about these trucks, their data collection habits and undocumented sharing with GM in which I have no say or control. I will not touch my truck until I know how to disable LTE.

Does anyone have any insights on where the SIM card for the LTE modem is housed? I would like to remove it and see where things go from there.

Richy · January 14, 2021

I get messages randomly. That sat my SIM card has been removed

Thankful · January 14, 2021

The navigation sim card is in the center console. I don't know if this sim card is being used for other purposes or not.

rmsmis · January 14, 2021

GM vehicles do not have sim cards, or at least user accessible sim cards, as from what I've been able find. As for the SD card in the center console, it's for map data only and can be left in. To fully disable the uplink to GM, you have to unplug the OnStar module, but I'm not sure where that is in our trucks.

ArrowsmithPML · January 14, 2021

SD and SIM cards are NOT the same thing. One as I'm sure you are aware is for storage (SD) and the other is for communication (SIM). There are likely 2 items of concern here. 1 is certainly associated with the Onstar functions but this is a paid service (unless I'm wrong) and the other would be associated with the LTE / 4G vehicle phone number and or data plan - which acts just like a cell phone but claims better coverage so much use satellites for that which would part of the Onstar module.

Now, the larger question is why bother? Although I have Onstar in both my GM products I don't use the car phone number / LTE plan as it is too expensive and my cell is always on as it is and data is cheaper in Canada then ever before. So, unless you use your phone with a VPN (as I do) all the time and have your location services turned off for privacy if you turn off this in the vehicle, your Android or Apple device is still listening to you anyway. ("Hey Google...", "Siri can you...?")

anyway, my 2 bits.

RGDD · January 15, 2021

The vehicles do in fact have SIM cards, it is the only way it can talk on the cellular network. I was concerned it may not be easily accessible but will do some trial and error on my vehicle.

It does not matter if you have an active data plan or an Onstar subscription, the connection is still very much active and sending data to GM. This has been verified by forensic data analysis. There is an option to disable certain functions of Onstar, which in turn limits some of the data GM receives. We as the user do not have this ability. You must press the blue Onstar button and request remote disable from an advisor. This still does not stop certain functions from reporting back to GM.

For many this may not be an issue. As someone very much in the trenches of cyber security and data privacy, I was taken back at what is going on here. It is not just GM, but that is the only vehicle I currently own that has the capabilities.

Edited January 15, 2021 by trswyo

Alzwaberdyn · May 30

Hey, I get where you're coming from with data privacy concerns. When I was dealing with a similar situation, I found the SIM card for the LTE modem tucked away near the dashboard. But before removing it, consider reaching out to the manufacturer for guidance. And if you're exploring alternatives, Esim Europe offers eSIM solutions that might align better with your privacy preferences. Good luck navigating this!

Edited June 6 by Alzwaberdyn

chwilliams · May 30

One possible way to deal with this is unhook the antennas and attach them to a dummy load, effectively grounding the signal. The system will just think you're out of a coverage area, permanently.

JasonAnderson · September 29

I know this is an old post, but I’ve been looking into similar issues with vehicle data collection lately. I was pretty surprised when I realized how much info my SUV was sending back to the manufacturer. As for the SIM in your 2020 Silverado, I believe it’s tied to the OnStar module, which is often hidden behind the glovebox or sometimes near the rearview mirror. You might have to remove some panels to get to it. I’ve been using eSIMs for travel recently, and I got one from https://simsdirect.com.au/collections/europe before my last trip.

Edited October 6 by JasonAnderson

bruceb58 · September 30

6 hours ago, JasonAnderson said:

I know this is an old post, but I’ve been looking into similar issues with vehicle data collection lately. I was pretty surprised when I realized how much info my SUV was sending back to the manufacturer.

And why is this a problem?