GM Pays $220 Million for Selling Drivers' Data (Your Car Snitched)

You know that friend who repeats every secret you tell him? Turns out millions of people had one parked in their driveway.

On October 29, 2026, General Motors agreed to pay $220 million in a driver data settlement with 36 attorneys general, from 35 US states plus Washington, D.C. The case was led by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown.

It's about a GM feature called Smart Driver. It ran from 2016 to 2024 and was pitched to owners as a way to become safer behind the wheel.

According to the states, it was also keeping score. It logged when every trip started and ended, how hard people braked, how fast they accelerated and when they went over the speed limit. GM then sold that data to brokers, who sold it to insurance companies. Some drivers ended up paying higher premiums.

You brake hard once for a squirrel, and your insurance bill remembers it better than you do.

It gets worse. The attorneys general say GM's OnStar app told more than 370,000 drivers they weren't enrolled in Smart Driver. They were. And state officials say some dealership staff signed customers up because their bonuses depended on it.

It's the gym membership you never agreed to, except this one was mailing your workout stats to your insurer.

"People bought a car, not a tracking device," Rayfield said. That line belongs on every car contract.

GM didn't admit wrongdoing. The company says Smart Driver ended in 2024 and that the deal reinforces privacy steps it already took. Under the settlement, GM needs drivers' clear consent before collecting or sharing driving and location data, has to collect less of it, and gets outside checks on its privacy program.

But careful: the $220 million goes to the states, not to drivers. The official announcements mention no claims process for individuals, so if an email asks for your VIN to "claim your share", delete it. Texas is also suing GM separately.

Modern cars are computers on wheels, and GM is now adding an AI assistant with cameras to OnStar. GM promises customers will decide what gets shared. After this case, I'd read that settings menu twice.

Last week we were worried about robot ducks with cameras. The biggest snitch in the house might be sitting in the garage.

Photos: General Motors