system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5:Why is the Volkswagen Emission Scandal such a big deal?

I've been hearing about the VW Emissions Scandal for a while now and am wondering exactly what the big deal is. It's obviously dishonest for companies to lie about their product but it's certainly not the first time that has happened. What is it about lying about your emissions that is generating such a negative response?

Thank you!
gpt
because they didnt just lie about something, they created a system that actively fooled detection systems. This was a serious effort to bypass safety standards, and a blatent betrayal of their customers trust. People would buy their cars for the emission standards, and that's all a gigantic lie. 

As far as we know, this is the first time this has happened to this scale. Its not just some PR person giving the wrong numbers, its a built in feature of the car that had lots of work and effort put into it, specifically to lie to people and make their cars look better than they are.