FTC hands GM a 5-year ban on selling sensitive driver info to data brokers

The FTC announced a proposed settlement with GM and OnStar over alleged deceptive collection and sale of highly precise geolocation and driving behavior data from 9 million drivers to data brokers and insurers, linked via VIN and trip identifiers. The order would ban such sales for five years, require affirmative consent, provide clearer choices, enable data access/deletion, and allow disabling precise location and behavior collection; GM has ended its Smart Driver program and related broker relationships, while final approval remains pending after a 30-day Federal Register period.