Research · · 4 min read
GM will pay $220 million to 36 states over selling drivers’ data to brokers
A coalition of 36 attorneys general says GM sold Smart Driver data on how and where people drove to data brokers, who sold it to insurers. What the settlement changes.
General Motors has agreed to pay $220 million to settle claims from 36 state attorneys general that it sold drivers’ driving behaviour and location data without their knowledge. The data went to data brokers, who sold it to insurance companies. If you drive, or once drove, a connected GM vehicle, here’s what the states say happened and what the settlement changes.
What happened
The Washington Attorney General’s office, which co-led the case with Oregon, announced the settlement on October 29, 2026. It says that from 2016 to 2024, GM enrolled millions of drivers in Smart Driver, a feature it pitched as a way to improve their own driving and that it said wouldn’t share data with insurers without express consent.
According to the attorneys general, GM sold that information to data brokers under contracts that said it was meant for insurance products, and the brokers sold it on to insurers. The data was specific to each driver: how many times they drove, when each trip started and ended, how often they braked or accelerated hard, and whether they went over the speed limit. The states say that for many people, insurers used it in part to set their rates.
The states also say the OnStar app wrongly told more than 370,000 drivers they weren’t enrolled in Smart Driver when they were. GM later unenrolled them without telling them about the mistake and left their data with the brokers and insurers, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s announcement.
GM ended Smart Driver in 2024, after the New York Times reported on the practice. In a statement to TechCrunch, GM said the agreement “addresses Smart Driver, a product we ended in 2024, and reinforces steps we’ve taken to strengthen our privacy practices.” TechCrunch notes that the brokers named in the Times report were LexisNexis and Verisk.
What the settlement changes
- Consent first. GM must get drivers’ affirmative, express consent before it collects or shares their driving and location data.
- Less data. GM has to limit the driving data it collects and protect it under a full privacy program.
- Outside checks. The program must be assessed internally and by an outside party.
- Dealerships. GM agreed to oversight and training so people aren’t signed up for data collection at the dealership without agreeing to it. The Record reports that most drivers were enrolled while buying their cars, and that dealerships were rewarded for sign-ups.
Of the $220 million, Washington receives $12.3 million and Maryland $7.33 million. The settlement doesn’t mention payments to individual drivers. A separate lawsuit from Texas is still going.
What you can do
- Check your car’s connected services. In your vehicle app or account, look at which data sharing or driving score features are turned on, and switch off what you don’t use.
- Ask before you sign at the dealership. If you’re offered a connected service or driving score, ask what it collects and who it’s shared with. You can say no.
- Ask your insurer what it uses. If your premium jumped without a clear reason, you can ask whether driving data from a third party played a part.
- Use your access rights. Depending on where you live, privacy laws may let you ask a data broker what it holds about you and to delete it.
How Frame helps
This case is a clear example of how data brokers sit between the companies that collect your data and the companies that use it. Frame guides you through opting out of the data brokers and people-search sites that publish and resell personal information, one request at a time, and tracks each one so you can check it stuck. Frame never sells, rents or trades your personal information.
Sources
- Washington State Office of the Attorney General, GM to pay $220M for sharing drivers’ private data in case co-led by Washington, October 29, 2026
- Office of the Attorney General of Maryland, Attorney General Brown Announces $220M Multistate Settlement with General Motors for Sharing Drivers’ Private Data, October 29, 2026
- TechCrunch, GM reaches $220M settlement over selling drivers’ private data, October 29, 2026
- The Record, GM settles with 36 states for selling driver data, agrees to $220 million fine and reforms, October 29, 2026
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