General Motors settles $220 million data‑privacy case with 36 states

General Motors agreed to a $220 million nationwide settlement with a coalition of 36 state attorneys general over allegations that its Smart Driver program sold drivers’ location and behavior data to insurers without consent. The settlement, reached in late 2025, requires GM to obtain explicit consent before collecting or sharing such data and to strengthen privacy protections. GM discontinued the Smart Driver program in 2024. Individual states will receive separate payouts ranging from $4.5 million to $8.9 million.

The settlement imposes a $220 million cash outlay and new consent requirements on GM, which could increase compliance costs and affect the company’s reputation with consumers and regulators. The payouts are allocated to state general funds, but the broader privacy obligations may shape GM’s data‑handling practices going forward.

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