mobile-menu-icon
GM Authority

Texas Demands GM To Disclose Driver Data Sale Practices

The Texas Attorney General’s office has launched an investigation into six automakers, including GM, over reports of breaking Texas law by allegedly selling drivers’ data without their knowledge.

According to a report from Dallas News, letters were sent in April 2024 and May 2024 where the Attorney General’s consumer protection division demanded a wide range of documents relating to “the collection and sharing of vehicular data” without consumer consent. Notably, this probe was announced last month.

Photo of GM logo.

“The technology in modern vehicles enables manufacturers to collect millions of data points about the people driving them,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton remarked in a prepared statement. “Recently, consumers have grown extremely concerned that their driving data is being reported to their insurance company without their knowledge or authorization.”

It’s worth noting that Texas has legislature against false, misleading and deceptive trade practices, and that failure to comply with the document requests could result in a $5,000 fine, one year in county jail, or both. To that end, representatives from a majority of the automakers in question, including General Motors, claimed that they are cooperating with the investigation.

GM Authority recently reported that the Detroit-based automaker was allegedly selling information collected through its OnStar service. Such data was reportedly sold to insurance companies through data brokers, which could then serve to raise insurance premiums for drivers, even those who have reported no accidents.

Likely to little surprise, General Motors denies such practices. However, the Detroit-based automaker ended business with two data analysis firms, LexisNexis and Verisk, after it was hit with an OnStar-related lawsuit. Notably, none of the three companies gave any comment as to why the business arrangements were terminated.

Be sure to subscribe to GM Authority for GM investigation news, GM legal news, GM business news, GM technology news, and more obsessive-compulsive GM news coverage.

As a typical Florida Man, Trey is a certified GM nutjob who's obsessed with anything and everything Corvette-related.

Subscribe to GM Authority

For around-the-clock GM news coverage

We'll send you one email per day with the latest GM news. It's totally free.

Comments

  1. Good. Too bad the other 49 don’t do the same to gm.

    Reply
  2. Do contact LexusNexis and request your report. I did. The report read a lot like a credit report, But with other, different, more data. You can opt out of LexisNexis. I was shocked to learn this existed, we all know about the three credit bureaus, how did this not become more widely known? Good Luck.

    Reply
    1. It’s not more widely known because they don’t want you to know about this. Companies are making millions by snatching your data.

      Reply
    2. It’s not just LexusNexis, which GM stopped using, BTW. There are others. The only real fix is for to GM and other OEMs to stop selling our data. Period.

      Reply
    3. Weirdly, I have requested mine twice in the past 3 months. Both over the phone as online did not work. It has never shown up. The second request, a little over a month after the first, the woman said the first was shown to have been sent, but I never got it. The second attempt also failed to show, now at slightly over a month ago. Perhaps the third time will be a charm. I am going to ask it be sent return receipt requested although I doubt they will. It is them. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bill not show up via mail at this address in over 20 years. I am curious what could be in it. Was unaware until recently you could get a free report on yourself. Lawyers use Lexis quite a bit, it is a very extensive report which is quite expensive to access.

      Reply
  3. To request a free FACTA (Fair Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003) report call the Verisk Consumer Report Request Line at 1-800-627-3487. The Verisk Consumer Report Request Line is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern time

    Reply
  4. This will lead to a form that is signed at the dealership.

    Reply
  5. website fcra dot verisk dot com has a form to request, I entered GM vin numbers to get a 5 year history of my driving.
    this is for Honda and Hyundai also.

    Reply
  6. also note: a similar topic here on GM authority led to us Corvette owners learning there is an opt-out option in the MyChevrolet app on our phones to stop collecting driving data on our Corvettes 😱
    Not sure what other vehicles have this, but just sayin driving data is sent by default and it cannot be turned off in the settings inside the car through the menus, has to be turned off in the app.
    In my case a 2021 C8 , not sure if it affects C7 on back.

    Reply
    1. I wonder what data the app collects on your phone…?

      Reply
      1. the app itself does not collect on your phone, the app is the only way to tell GM to stop collecting data from the car, this feature cannot be turned off in the car. Go figure. but the phone is not collecting data, the phone app interacts with GM data collection, the app is your personal access to GM, and as a side, also lets you keep tabs on your car, not sure which cars, but the 2021 Corvette does do this.

        Reply
  7. Then there’s the ” Infotainment System ” …
    Btw, wonder if there could be Class Action against the Insurance Companies for buying information they know is stolen ?

    Reply

Leave a comment

Cancel