GM Agrees to $12.75 Million California Settlement Over Driver Data Sales
Summary
GM agreed to a $12.75 million California settlement over allegations it sold OnStar users’ driving data without consent. The deal requires a five-year sales pause, data deletion rules and stronger privacy controls; court approval is pending.
Key points
- California alleged GM collected and sold drivers’ location, driving-behavior, name and contact data without their knowledge or consent.
- Investigators said GM sold data from 2020 to 2024 to Verisk and LexisNexis Risk Solutions, earning about $20 million nationwide.
- The settlement requires GM to pause sales of driving data to consumer reporting agencies for five years.
- GM must delete certain driving data after 180 days without affirmative consent and ask Verisk and LexisNexis to delete data they received.
- GM must establish a privacy program to assess and document OnStar data-collection risks, with assessments reported to California authorities.
- GM said it stopped offering the product addressed by the settlement in 2024 and strengthened its privacy practices; the deal still requires court approval.
Article Details
- Event Type
- California privacy enforcement settlement over allegations that General Motors collected and sold consumers’ driving data without consent.
- Impact
- General Motors agreed to pay $12.75 million and pause sales of driving data to consumer reporting agencies for five years. The settlement also requires deletion of certain data after 180 days without affirmative consent, requests to Verisk and LexisNexis Risk Solutions to delete data they received, and a strengthened privacy program. California investigators said data sold from 2020 to 2024 included geolocation, driving behavior, names, and contact information. The settlement is not final until approved by a court.