Posted on 06/22/2026 11:35:23 AM PDT by MtnClimber
A new order says OnStar data sharing went too far, and now the brakes are on.
- FTC says GM sold location and driving data without clear consent.
- Order bars sharing with reporting agencies for full five years.
- Drivers can opt out and request old data about them be deleted.
If you’ve ever had the creeping suspicion that your car, and the company behind it, knows more about you than it probably should, you’re not imagining things. But the pushback has already started. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has just slapped a ban on GM preventing it from selling data and giving us the option of stopping it collecting intel in the first place.
The biggest headline is a five year ban on GM and its OnStar telematics division from sharing geolocation and driving behavior data with consumer reporting agencies.
More: Nearly Every Automaker Is Selling Your Data
The ruling comes after the companies were found to have gathered data and sold geolocation information from millions of vehicles without properly informing drivers or getting clear permission.
This all traces back to a complaint first announced in January 2025. US regulators allege GM used a misleading enrollment process to sign consumers up for OnStar services and the OnStar Smart Driver feature. It then failed to clearly disclose that it was collecting precise location and driving behavior data and selling it to third parties without consent.
20-year Wrist Slap
The order doesn’t stop with the five-year ban. For the next 20 years, GM has to play things much straighter, getting affirmative express consent before collecting, using, or sharing certain connected vehicle data, with limited exceptions like emergency response.
It also has to offer a way for all US consumers to request a copy of their data and to ask for it to be deleted, and must additionally give consumers the ability to disable precise geolocation collection if the vehicle supports it.
Not the Only Villain
GM scrapped its OnStar Smart Driver service in April 2024, as news that driver data was being sold to third parties, including data brokers that supplied information to insurers, was hitting the headlines.
Over the past year, GM has been hit with several lawsuits over its data collection practices from different states, including Texas and Nebraska.
Also: GM Faces New Lawsuit For Secretly Selling Your Driving Data
But it’s not the only automaker accused of nefarious data-related activities. Hyundai and Kia were sued in 2024 for selling data to insurers.
“The Federal Trade Commission has formally approved the agreement reached last year with General Motors to address concerns,” GM said in a statement.
“As vehicle connectivity becomes increasingly integral to the driving experience, GM remains committed to protecting customer privacy, maintaining trust, and ensuring customers have a clear understanding of our practices.”
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Someone mentioned to me the other day that if you place your smartphone in a Faraday bag to block all signals, including the buried GPS chip, that this can be construed as "intent" for some criminal activities. Not sure if this is true, but it wouldn't surprise me if is was or at least close to the truth.
These companies should know how much their customers hate their surveillance games. I hope they get sued into bankruptcy and that their retirement funds have to be raided to pay settlements.
Guess my 55 Chevy feels left out?.
My buddy and I tried a foil Lays Potato Chip bag.
It worked.
I’ve read all police departments disable OnStar first thing when they get a vehicle and it’s a procedure to do so. Not easy.
“Guess my 55 Chevy feels left out?.”
Now that’s a car that will run forever.
I had a friend disable my gps and tracker stuff in my truck. I can find stuff on my own, I can read a map. Something people under 30 can’t seem to do anymore.
I also have a faraday bag for my phone I use sometimes.
My 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 does not have Onstar and has only the basic instrument panel control knobs and buttons, AM/FM radio and CD player. 95K miles on it and it’s still running strong. I bought it new the day after Obama was re-elected...GM and their marketing research (and whatever else) can kiss my ass from a comfortable distance!
Like with apps, it’ll be probably be part of the sales agreement. “To start this vehicle, you must consent to our use of your data. Have a nice day!”
I am sure that unless the restraining order is very carefully written GM and others will simply spin off a subsidiary entity that is not constrained by the order, pass the data collection to them, and soon it will be business as usual.
Onstar can let cops disable your vehicle to stop a chase. If they can disable your vehicle, hackers can too.
If you have a fuse that controls the Onstar box you can pull the fuse, but you lose GPS maps and other accident reporting things. With the C8 Corvette it is buried into the engine controls and I have not seen a way to disable it. I cancelled my C8-Z06 order and I am trying to figure out if I can disable my Cadillac CT5 v Blackwing.
The chip bag sounds like a great idea for a lot of purposes.
EVERY STORY LIKE THIS:
MAKES ME LOVE MY 1976 1 TON 454 4 SPEED CHEVY TRUCK &
MY 1979 BUICK WAGON EVEN MORE
OVER 573,000 MILES TOTAL
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