Arkansas Sues GM, Alleges Automaker Illegally Sold Drivers’ Data

General Motors headquarters in Detroit, Michigan (Shutterstock)

Arkansas is suing automaker General Motors and its in-vehicle safety subsidiary OnStar on accusations that the companies illegally collected driver data and sold it to third-party data brokers.

The lawsuit alleges that GM collected data on vehicle speed, braking, acceleration and more through OnStar without driver consent. Data firms like LexisNexis then purchased the information to develop driver risk profiles, which are used by insurance companies to raise premiums or deny coverage.

GM and OnStar allegedly collected data from more than 100,000 Arkansans’ vehicles without consent.

“Despite advertising OnStar as offering the benefits of better driving, safety, and operability of its vehicles, GM and OnStar used the data to pad their profits at the expense of consumers,” Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said in a statement.

The lawsuit, filed in Phillips County Circuit Court, alleges violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. It cites a March 2024 article in The New York Times that exposed GM’s data collection practices.

Griffin’s office is seeking monetary penalties against GM and OnStar, as well as an injunction to block the companies from continuing the alleged privacy violations.