GM Agrees to $220 Million Driver Data Settlement

General Motors agreed to pay $220 million to resolve allegations that it improperly collected drivers’ location and driving data through its Smart Driver program and supplied the information to data brokers for insurance products, a coalition of 36 attorneys general said Thursday. The settlement also requires the automaker to obtain affirmative, express consent before collecting or disclosing covered data and to strengthen its privacy safeguards. The states’ investigation focused on Smart Driver, which operated from 2016 to 2024 and was marketed as a tool to help motorists monitor their driving. According to the coalition, GM collected details including trip frequency, journey times, hard braking, rapid acceleration and speeding, then provided data to brokers under contracts specifying its use for insurance products. The brokers passed information to insurers, which could use it to assess risk or adjust premiums, officials said. The attorneys general alleged that some customers were enrolled without their knowledge when buying vehicles at dealerships, where Smart Driver enrollment was combined with sign-up for GM’s OnStar service. In some cases, dealership employees allegedly...