GM agrees to pay $12.75M in California driver privacy settlement

The first StrictlyVC of 2026 hits SF on April 30. Tickets are going fast. Register now. Buy one Disrupt pass, and get the second at 50% off. Ends May 8. Register now. TechCrunch Desktop Logo TechCrunch Mobile Logo LatestStartupsVentureAppleSecurityAIApps EventsPodcastsNewsletters SearchSubmit Site Search Toggle Mega Menu Toggle Topics Latest GM agrees to pay $12.75M in California driver privacy settlement Anthony Ha 12:05 PM PDT · May 9, 2026 General Motors has reached a privacy-related settlement with a group of law enforcement agencies led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Back in 2024, The New York Times reported that automakers including GM were sharing information about their customers’ driving behavior with insurance companies, and that some customers were concerned that their insurance rates had gone up as a result. The settlement announcement from Bonta’s office similarly alleges that GM sold “the names, contact information, geolocation data, and driving behavior data of hundreds of thousands of Californians” to Verisk Analytics and LexisNexis Risk Solutions, which are both data brokers.  Bonta’s office further alleges that this data was collected through GM’s OnStar program, and that the company made roughly $20 million from data sales. However, Bonta’s office also said the data did not lead to increased insurance prices in California, “likely because under California’s insurance laws, insurers are prohibited from using driving data to set insurance rates.” As part of the settlement, GM has agreed to pay $12.75 million in civil penalties and to stop selling driving data to any consumer reporting agencies for five years, Bonta’s office said. GM has also agreed to delete any driver data that it still retains within 180 days (unless it obtains consent from customers), and to request that Lexis and Verisk delete that data. “General Motors sold the data of California drivers without their knowledge or consent and despite numerous statements reassuring drivers that it would not do so,” Bonta said in a statement, adding that the settlement “requires General Motors to abandon these illegal practices and underscores the importance of the data minimization in California’s privacy law — companies can’t just hold on to data and use it later for another purpose.” GM had previously settled with the Federal Trade Commission over its data sales, with a final order banning General Motors and OnStar from selling certain data with consumer reporting agencies. Techcrunch event This Week Only: Buy one pass, get the second at 50% off Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register before May 8 to bring a +1 at half the cost. This Week Only: Buy one pass, get the second at 50% off Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register before May 8 to bring a +1 at half the cost. San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 REGISTER NOW GM told Reuters that the settlement “addresses Smart Driver, a product we discontinued in 2024, and reinforces steps we’ve taken to strengthen our privacy practices.” When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence. Anthony Ha Anthony Ha is TechCrunch’s weekend editor. Previously, he worked as a tech reporter at Adweek, a senior editor at VentureBeat, a local government reporter at the Hollister Free Lance, and vice president of content at a VC firm. He lives in New York City. You can contact or verify outreach from Anthony by emailing anthony.ha@techcrunch.com. May 27 Athens, Greece StrictlyVC Athens is up next. Hear unfiltered insights straight from Europe’s tech leaders and connect with the people shaping what’s ahead. Lock in your spot before it’s gone. Most Popular Laid-off Oracle workers tried to negotiate better severance. Oracle said no.  Julie Bort San Francisco’s housing market has lost its mind Connie Loizos Hackers deface school login pages after claiming another Instructure hack Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai Zack Whittaker Hackers steal students’ data during breach at education tech giant Instructure Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai As workers worry about AI, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang says AI is ‘creating an enormous number of jobs’ Lucas Ropek Ouster’s new color lidar is coming to replace cameras Sean O'Kane This tiny, magnetic e-reader could stop you from doomscrolling Amanda Silberling X LinkedIn Facebook Instagram youTube Mastodon Threads Bluesky TechCrunchStaffContact UsAdvertiseCrunchboard JobsSite Map Terms of ServicePrivacy PolicyRSS Terms of UseCode of Conduct AnthropicSAPSamsungMarc LoreTechCrunch DisruptTech LayoffsChatGPT © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC.