General Motors Settles Data Privacy Lawsuit for $220 Million

The settlement targets the defunct Smart Driver program, which harvested granular metrics—including acceleration, braking patterns, and trip duration—without obtaining clear authorization from vehicle owners. Prosecutors argued that GM failed to disclose its enrollment practices, effectively turning consumer vehicles into surveillance tools for third-party insurers. Under the terms of the agreement, the company must now secure explicit consent before collecting such information and limit its data intake to strictly necessary functions.

This resolution follows a separate $12.75 million payout in California earlier this year regarding similar privacy violations. A coalition led by Rayfield and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, alongside officials from states including New York, Florida, and Michigan, spearheaded the legal push. The investigation concluded that GM’s promises of safer driving analytics were undermined by the unauthorized monetization of personal habits.