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How To Opt Out Of GM Sharing Your Driving Data With Insurance Companies

Just last week, a report was published highlighting claims from a Chevy Bolt EV driver that his insurance premiums spiked after GM shared driving data with a data broker, which in turn provided that data to insurance companies. The practice is a growing trend among automakers, but some consumers are pushing back, with one Cadillac XT6 owner in Florida even filing a lawsuit against General Motors claiming he was rejected by seven auto insurance companies as a result of driving data shared by a data broker. Now, GM Authority is providing a step-by-step guide on how you can opt out of General Motors sharing your driving data with insurance companies.

A screenshot of the myChevrolet app, which could enable GM to share driving data with insurance companies.

In order to opt out of General Motors sharing your driving data with insurance companies, consumers need to disable the OnStar Smart Driver feature. This feature can be found in the brand-specific app for new GM vehicles (myBuick, myCadillac, myChevrolet, myGMC). The screenshots seen here were taken from the myChevrolet app, but the process to disable the OnStar Smart Driver feature is identical across the four apps.

First, open the app and make sure that you are logged in. Also ensure that the app is connected to your car, and that everything is functioning as expected.

Next, tap on the user profile in the top right corner. The profile icon will include the user’s initials, which, in the screenshot seen above, is shown as “US”.

Next, scroll down through the menu provided until you see “Settings” with a little gear icon. Tap on “Settings” to open the Settings menu.

In the Settings menu, look for the “OnStar Smart Driver” option. Tap “OnStar Smart Driver” to open the OnStar Smart Driver options.

With the OnStar Smart Driver options menu open, look for the “Allow OnStar Smart Driver” toggle. Slide the toggle into the disabled position by sliding it to the left. The toggle will look dark blue when active (as seen in the screenshot) and grey when disabled.

Although automakers and insurance companies have encouraged consumers to use apps and other devices to monitor their driving habits and potentially lower their insurance premiums, not every driver may be aware if these systems are currently active in their vehicle. The California Privacy Protection Agency is currently investigating the practice, while Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey has encouraged the FTC to look into the practice as well.

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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