GM app misled more than 370,000 drivers, Washington investigators say
Washington’s attorney general’s office alleges that OnStar told drivers they were not enrolled in Smart Driver while GM continued collecting and selling their data.
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General Motors’ OnStar app incorrectly told more than 370,000 drivers they were not enrolled in Smart Driver while the company continued collecting and selling their data, Washington’s attorney general’s office alleges. The Register described the investigators’ finding.
Smart Driver, offered by GM subsidiary OnStar, used driving data to give vehicle owners reports intended to help improve their driving habits. GM ended the program in April 2024, citing customer feedback, just over a month after a New York Times investigation exposed its data-sharing practices.
Investigators’ account of enrollment and data sales
Washington’s attorney general’s office alleges that GM gave dealerships incentives to enroll customers in Smart Driver and that employees sometimes accepted the program’s terms on customers’ behalf without their knowledge or consent.
The office described the data GM sold as personal and identifiable, including precise location, speed and seatbelt use. Investigators allege that GM sold the information without drivers’ informed consent to data brokers, which then sold it to insurers that could use it to set premiums. GM had assured customers it would not share their information with insurers without their express consent.
Alleged removals and GM’s response
The attorneys general allege that GM later removed the incorrectly notified drivers from Smart Driver without telling them about the mistake, as The Record described. The previously collected data was not withdrawn from brokers and insurers.
Washington’s attorney general’s office said brokers’ sales of the data to insurers affected the prices drivers were charged for insurance.
A GM spokesperson told The Register that the agreement reinforced steps the company had taken to strengthen its privacy practices and that connected-vehicle data enables safer, more helpful and personalized experiences. The spokesperson said GM is committed to explaining what information it uses, how it protects that information and what choices customers have about sharing it.
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