Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced that General Motors (GM) has agreed to pay $220 million to settle allegations that the automaker sold customers’ driving behavior and location data to third parties without their knowledge or consent. Maryland will receive $7.33 million as part of the settlement.
Brown joined a coalition of 36 attorneys general in the case, which alleged that GM collected information through its Smart Driver program between 2016 and 2024. The program tracked drivers’ locations and driving habits, including speeding, hard braking, acceleration and trip times.
According to the allegations, GM sold the information to data brokers, which then provided it to insurance companies. In some cases, insurers reportedly used the information to determine insurance rates.
The investigation also alleged that some customers were enrolled in the program without their consent, including through dealership enrollment practices. Additionally, GM’s systems allegedly incorrectly informed more than 370,000 drivers that they were not enrolled in the program when their data was being collected.
Under the settlement, GM must obtain consumers’ affirmative, express consent before collecting or sharing driving and location information. The company must also implement additional privacy protections, undergo regular assessments and provide dealership oversight and training.
GM discontinued its Smart Driver program in 2024 following reporting about its data-sharing practices.
