Ohio to Receive $8 Million in GM Settlement Over Drivers’ Personal Data

Ohio will receive more than $8 million as part of a $220 million settlement with General Motors over allegations the automaker secretly sold drivers’ personal information.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson joined attorneys general from 35 other states in announcing the settlement, which stems from GM’s collection and sale of driving behavior and location data.

Between 2016 and 2024, millions of drivers enrolled in GM’s Smart Driver program, often while purchasing vehicles at dealerships.

The program was promoted as a way to improve driving safety. But investigators say GM sold information about drivers’ habits to insurance brokers, who passed it along to insurance companies that could use the data to adjust premiums.

Some drivers didn’t even know they were enrolled. According to the Attorney General’s Office, GM’s OnStar app incorrectly told roughly 380,000 customers they weren’t participating in Smart Driver when their information was actually being collected and sold.

“GM broke consumers’ trust by selling such data without their knowledge and consent,” Wilson said.

Under the settlement, GM must obtain consumers’ express consent before collecting or sharing driving and location data. The company must also strengthen its privacy protections and oversight of dealership enrollment practices.