GM data ban exposes industry-wide driver tracking, researchers find

September 13, 2026 at 05:00 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The Federal Trade Commission banned General Motors from selling customer driving data to brokers for five years. Researchers from Mozilla Foundation and Consumer Reports found nearly all automakers collect and share driver behavior data. The FTC order requires GM to let drivers turn off location tracking and delete collected data.

Key Facts

The FTC imposed a five-year ban on GM selling customer data to consumer reporting agencies and third-party data brokers.
GM shared driving data with LexisNexis and Verisk, both of which work with the insurance industry.
A 2024 New York Times investigation found some drivers' insurance rates rose as a result of GM's data collection.
Mozilla Foundation researchers concluded every major car company had "horrible privacy and security" in 2023.
Consumer Reports found nearly every automaker selling cars in the U.S. collects and shares driver behavior data.

GM Data Collection

GM collected data on how often customers sped or drove at night and sold it to brokers to generate risk profiles for insurers. Many drivers unknowingly consented by signing up for an OnStar connected services plan that activated the Smart Driver feature. GM shared the data with LexisNexis and Verisk, both of which work with the insurance industry. The enrollment process was so confusing that many vehicle owners had no idea their data was being shared.

Industry-Wide Practices

Mozilla Foundation researchers spent months examining privacy policies of all major car companies for a 2023 report. Jen Caltrider, who helped author the study, said every company had "horrible privacy and security." Customers were forced to accept overlapping policies for the car, connected services, smartphone app, and financial services, all including data collection provisions. Consumer Reports' 2025 investigation concluded nearly every automaker selling cars in the U.S. collects and shares driver behavior data.

Privacy Controls

Cars are more problematic than phones because privacy controls are less intuitive. A smartphone owner can generally find and tweak privacy settings, but vehicle data collection is spread across multiple systems and policies. The FTC settlement requires GM to make it easier for drivers to turn off location tracking and access or delete their data.