--- title: "GM agrees to pay $220 million to 36 states over driver data sold to insurance brokers" description: "If you bought a GM car between 2016 and 2024, your braking and speeding data may have reached insurers, and the settlement changes what GM must ask of you." url: https://cars.skoop.news/gm-pays-220-million-after-lawsuit-over-illegally-selling-dri-ffeef0/ published: 2026-10-30T11:29:11.834053-04:00 modified: 2026-10-30T11:29:11.834075-04:00 section: "Cars & EVs" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["OnStar", "Smart Driver", "Federal Trade Commission", "Washington Attorney General", "General Motors", "York Times", "California", "Office", "Oregon", "cars"] hashtags: ["#SmartDriver", "#FederalTradeCommission", "#WashingtonAttorneyGeneral", "#Car", "#cars"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Woman_with_rectifier_and_electric_car.jpg/1280px-Woman_with_rectifier_and_electric_car.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # GM agrees to pay $220 million to 36 states over driver data sold to insurance brokers > If you bought a GM car between 2016 and 2024, your braking and speeding data may have reached insurers, and the settlement changes what GM must ask of you. Published 2026-10-30 · Updated 2026-10-30 · Cars & EVs, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - General Motors agreed to pay $220 million to 36 states to settle allegations that it sold drivers' data to brokers. [[1]](https://www.thedrive.com/news/gm-pays-220-million-after-lawsuit-over-illegally-selling-drivers-data-tds) - From 2016 to 2024, GM enrolled millions of drivers in its Smart Driver program, which tracked their driving habits. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) - Most drivers were enrolled when they bought their cars, through a single sign-up process shared with GM's OnStar service. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) ## The settlement General Motors agreed to pay $220 million to 36 states to settle allegations that it sold drivers' data to brokers. [[1]](https://www.thedrive.com/news/gm-pays-220-million-after-lawsuit-over-illegally-selling-drivers-data-tds) Those brokers sold the information to insurance companies, which used it in part to set people's rates. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) Washington and Oregon co-led the case, which was brought by a bipartisan coalition of 36 attorneys general. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) Washington will receive $12.3 million, according to the Washington Attorney General's Office. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) The settlement also requires a third party to audit the privacy programs GM has put in place. [[1]](https://www.thedrive.com/news/gm-pays-220-million-after-lawsuit-over-illegally-selling-drivers-data-tds) ## What Smart Driver collected From 2016 to 2024, GM enrolled millions of drivers in its Smart Driver program, which tracked their driving habits. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) GM promoted it as a way for drivers to become safer. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) The data was detailed, could be tied to individual drivers, and included information about aggressive braking and driving over the speed limit. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) According to the attorney general's office, GM told drivers it would not share their data with insurers without their express consent. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) The investigation found that GM sold the data to brokers under contracts saying it would be used for insurance products. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) GM did not tell drivers their data would be used by insurers in this way. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) ## How drivers got enrolled Most drivers were enrolled when they bought their cars, through a single sign-up process shared with GM's OnStar service. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) The attorney general's office alleges that in many cases dealership employees accepted the terms and conditions for customers without their consent. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) Salespeople earned bonuses partly based on OnStar and connected-service enrollments, and dealerships were ranked by enrollment numbers. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) ## The app error The OnStar app wrongly told more than 370,000 drivers they were not enrolled in Smart Driver while GM was collecting and selling their data. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) GM later quietly removed the affected drivers from the program without telling them about the error. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) Their data stayed with brokers and insurance companies. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) ## How we got here GM ended Smart Driver after The New York Times reported that insurers were using the data to change rates, sometimes raising them. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) A GM spokesperson said the product was ended in 2024 and that the agreement reinforces steps GM has taken to strengthen its privacy practices. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) In January 2025, the Federal Trade Commission proposed an order that would bar GM and OnStar from sharing drivers' geolocation and driving behavior data with consumer reporting agencies for five years. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) In May, GM agreed to pay California $12.75 million in civil penalties over the sale of OnStar users' data. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) California officials said GM made about $20 million nationwide by selling the data between 2020 and 2024 to two brokers. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) The GM spokesperson said the product was discontinued in 2024 after the California settlement. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) ## What it means for you If you bought a GM car during the years Smart Driver ran, you may have been enrolled at the dealership, since most drivers were enrolled when they bought their cars. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) Dealership employees allegedly accepted the terms for customers without their consent in many cases. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) The OnStar app wrongly told more than 370,000 drivers they were not enrolled, so an app that says you are not enrolled may not settle the question. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) Their data stayed with brokers and insurance companies. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) Going forward, GM must obtain drivers' affirmative express consent before collecting or sharing their driving and location data. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) The attorney general's office said the settlement terms are significantly stronger than any other agreement reached with GM over this conduct. [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) ## Sources 1. [GM Pays $220 Million After Lawsuit Over Illegally Selling Drivers’ Data: TDS](https://www.thedrive.com/news/gm-pays-220-million-after-lawsuit-over-illegally-selling-drivers-data-tds) — The Drive 2. [General Motors to pay $220 million over claims it sold drivers’ data for insurance use](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/general-motors-pay-220-million-135102860.html) — Yahoo Finance Image: Photo (illustrative): General Electric Company / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woman_with_rectifier_and_electric_car.jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/