Tech
GM to pay $220 million after selling customer Smart Driver data
Publication: Ars Technica - All content
Author: Jonathan M. Gitlin
Source published: 30/10/2026, 13:53:20 UTC
Briefing created: 30/10/2026, 14:14:45 UTC
Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 30/10/2026, 14:13:24 UTC.
Briefings
General Motors settled with the FTC in January 2026 to ban sharing driver data with third parties for five years. This follows a 2024 revelation where GM shared Smart Driver data with brokers, leading to increased insurance costs and claims of lack of consent. The automaker also discontinued Smart Driver across its range. A separate lawsuit involving District of Columbia and 35 states has been filed, but the current evidence focuses on the FTC settlement and the prior data breach.
Key points
- General Motors settled with the FTC in January 2026 to prohibit sharing geolocation and driver behavior data with third parties for five years.
- In 2024, GM shared Smart Driver data with brokers, resulting in higher insurance premiums and claims that drivers were unaware of their data sharing.
Context
General Motors marketed Smart Driver as a tool for parents and adults to monitor teen and adult driving behavior. In 2024, it emerged that the system shared data with brokers, causing insurance cost increases and consumer complaints. The automaker later discontinued Smart Driver across its range and entered an FTC settlement in January 2026.
Limitations
The evidence covers the 2024 data breach and the January 2026 FTC settlement. It does not include details about the District of Columbia and 35 state lawsuit, nor does it provide information on the specific drivers affected or the full scope of the prior data sharing.
Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 30/10/2026, 14:14:45 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.
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