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More Than 25 GM OnStar Data Collection Class Action Lawsuits Have Been Filed So Far

GM is facing increased scrutiny over its data collection practices, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announcing that it was taking action against the automaker and accusing General Motors of improperly sharing sensitive consumer information gathered via OnStar, the automaker’s subscription-based services subsidiary. In addition, GM is also facing more than two dozen new lawsuits over the issue.

The first of these lawsuits was filed back in March, highlighting GM’s alleged data practices.

A GM customer hits the OnStar button.

In the initial lawsuit, a GM customer in Florida alleges that GM and LexisNexis Risk Solutions violated privacy and consumer protection laws after sharing data collected through the OnStar Smart Driver program, which the customer claims he never enrolled in. The customer also claims that this data sharing resulted in significantly elevated insurance premiums, and that he was rejected by seven auto insurance companies before discovering that his driving habits had been shared with insurers.

Now, according to a report from CarComplaints, GM is facing more than 25 lawsuits over the issue. Per CarComplaints, the class action lawsuits have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation titled, “IN RE: Consumer Vehicle Driving Data Tracking Litigation,” and alleges that plaintiffs were not properly informed how using OnStar and the Smart Driver program could impact their car insurance.

In addition, plaintiffs allege that data was collected and shared without ever agreeing to the stipulations laid out by OnStar or the Smart Driver program. In some instances, simply downloading a specific vehicle app, such as the myCadillac app, resulted in automatic OnStar driving data sharing.

Among the data collected were instances of hard acceleration, hard braking, speeding, when trips started, and when trips ended.

“GM monitored and sold people’s precise geolocation data and driver behavior information, sometimes as often as every three seconds,” said FTC Chair, Lina Khan, following the announcement of the FTC action against GM and OnStar. “With this action, the FTC is safeguarding Americans’ privacy and protecting people from unchecked surveillance.”

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

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Comments

  1. Good! I hope there are many more lawsuits against these privately owned spy agencies masquerading as data brokers who have been running amuck over Americans for years.

    Reply
  2. What this amounts to is a fundamental level of disrespect to the customer. The company is entrusted with a certain degree of personal information. To sell that to various data brokers is to say the company doesn’t believe their relationship with the customer matters, and that’s a problem.

    Reply
    1. GM only cares about the customer until there check Cashes.

      Reply
  3. Class action? Can’t wait for my 75 cent check, while the lawyers sweep up rest of the settlement…

    Reply
  4. PURE GREED !

    Reply
  5. Just bought a Hypertech 3000 tuner to use on our Yukon’s 6.2 to eliminate the dreaded, engine-destroying, GM AFM nonsense once and for all. The tuner’s instructions tell you to find the fuse powering the, for me, unused OnStar thing before using the tuner so, yeah, the spying OnStar is definitely actively monitoring what and how you are driving.

    Reply
  6. Another reason for new management! I hope they win big $$

    Reply
  7. When are law suits like this going to start happening in Canada ? I’m sure Ford & Chrysler are guilty of the same. I think more of these things should get brought up in our country. Never was informed about transmission issue, the AFM issues, the 6.2 bearing and connecting rod issues etc. now, selling private information without consent,(the list goes on) until I took the matter into my own hands and goggled my issues, finding out that there has been multiple issues like this going on in the U.S.(always got the answer of “that’s the first we’ve ever heard of” from Canadian dealers. Just another example of these corporate companies taking advantage of the little old “no name” consumer. I’m sure that the Canadian side is just as guilty if not more guilty of this, our country does a great job of covering up for corporate. So, so sad that they would think it’s all right. Pathetic. Just my opinion, if it really matters.

    Reply
  8. one guy was 25 years ahead of everyone.
    why do you think when he traded the suburban for the escalade the first thing he did was rip all that onstar crap out.
    why do you think the thieves rip the rearview mirrors off.
    It is not good enough for gm to make 15 large off you they want to continue on getting nickels and dimes in perpetuity.

    Reply

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