California hits GM with record privacy fine over OnStar data
California hits GM with record privacy fine over OnStar data
https://www.mexc.com/news/1081036
Publish Date: 2026-05-10 12:00:00
Source Domain: www.mexc.com
California said that General Motors (GM) sold location and driving data from hundreds of thousands of OnStar users to data brokers. To settle the case, GM is writing a check for $12.75 million. The deal was made public by California Attorney General Rob Bonta on May 8.
The settlement still needs court approval, but it’s already the largest penalty ever handed down under the California Consumer Privacy Act, according to Bonta’s office.
It also bars GM from selling personal consumer data for five years. The company has 180 days to delete retained driver data unless it gets customer consent to keep it.
General Motors sold user data to two brokers
California investigators found that GM gave two data brokers, Verisk Analytics and LexisNexis Risk Solutions, including subscriber names, phone numbers, home addresses, GPS location data, and records of how people drove.
People use GM’s OnStar to find their way, call for help in an emergency, and get information while they’re stuck on the side of the road.
GM collected the data from OnStar-supported cars between 2016 and 2024. The company tracked where OnStar users drove and parked, how fast they drove, and when they slammed on the gas.
GM reportedly pulled in around $20 million nationwide from these sales.
Media reports in 2024, starting with The New York Times, revealed that automakers, including GM, had been funneling driving behavior data to insurance companies.
Some drivers nationwide said their premiums went up after their data got shared.
Bonta’s office said California drivers didn’t see rate increases linked to GM’s data sales. Under state insurance laws, insurers can’t use driving behavior data to set rates.
Regulators pile on GM
In January 2025, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) made a deal with GM and OnStar that for five years, the company could not share or sell private data about where vehicles are parked and how drivers behave to consumer reporting agencies.
The FTC called GM’s…
