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GM Agrees to Pay $220 Million Over Driver Data

By Drooid · Oct 30, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

General Motors agreed to pay $220 million to settle driver-data privacy claims.
The settlement includes 36 state attorneys general, among them Vermont and New Hampshire.
From 2016 to 2024 GM enrolled drivers in its Smart Driver program without clear consent.
Data from the program was sold to brokers and insurers, leading to higher insurance rates.
Vermont will receive $4.5 million while New Hampshire receives nearly $3 million.

History

In March 2018, whistleblower Christopher Wylie revealed that Cambridge Analytica harvested data from up to 87 million Facebook users via Aleksandr Kogan’s app. The exposure spurred a July 2019 FTC judgment that fined Facebook $5 billion and prompted state actions. Building on that precedent, 36 state attorneys general sued General Motors in 2024 over its Smart Driver data-selling program, illustrating growing U.S. enforcement of privacy consent.

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In March 2018, whistleblower Christopher Wylie revealed that Cambridge Analytica harvested data from up to 87 million Facebook users via Aleksandr Kogan’s app. The exposure spurred a July 2019 FTC judgment that fined Facebook $5 billion and prompted state actions. Building on that precedent, 36 state attorneys general sued General Motors in 2024 over its Smart Driver data-selling program, illustrating growing U.S. enforcement of privacy consent.

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