Data collected by cars and sold to third parties
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Modern cars collect and sell vast amounts of driver data to third parties, often without meaningful consent.
The FTC issued a five-year ban on GM selling customer data to data brokers after revelations it collected driving behavior (speeding, night driving) through OnStar's Smart Driver feature and shared it with LexisNexis and Verisk, which work with insurers. Many drivers unknowingly consented by signing up for connected services. The FTC's settlement requires GM to simplify opt-outs and allow access and deletion of collected data. The article notes GM is not the only automaker engaging in such data collection.
What commenters are saying
Commenters broadly condemn the practice and see it as a consequence of weak US data protection laws. Several add context: one former intern states all European automakers collect extensive telemetry via permanent 4G/5G or during service. Some question enforcement under EU laws (CCPA rights), while another critic lists several recent EU laws they claim mandate surveillance, though another commenter disputes this as misinformation. Suggestions for technical countermeasures include removing the modem or disconnecting telematics antennas.