Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird (R) has filed a lawsuit against General Motors and OnStar, alleging the companies collected and sold driver data from Iowa residents without obtaining proper consent.
KIMT News 3 reports that the lawsuit, filed in Polk County District Court, accuses General Motors of violating the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act through what the state characterizes as deceptive business practices related to consumer data collection and sales.
According to the legal complaint, General Motors began installing tracking systems in its vehicles in 2015 that monitored various aspects of driver behavior and vehicle operation. The systems reportedly collected information including vehicle speed, seatbelt usage, driving habits, and location data. This information was subsequently sold to third-party data brokers and insurance companies, potentially affecting insurance coverage and premium rates for Iowa residents without their knowledge or explicit permission.
The petition filed by the Iowa Attorney General’s office alleges that General Motors engaged in misleading practices by misrepresenting the nature and purpose of OnStar services. The lawsuit claims the company implied that enrollment in these services was necessary to access basic vehicle safety features, without adequately disclosing that the associated applications and services would collect personal data and subsequently sell that information to outside entities.
Attorney General Bird addressed the lawsuit in a public statement, saying, “Iowans deserve to know who is collecting, using, and selling their data and why. They should also be able to trust a company as large and well-known as General Motors. GM was not honest with Iowans who were spending hard-earned money to buy a dependable vehicle—and they did it to make more money. That is wrong, and our office is holding them accountable.”
In response to the lawsuit, a General Motors spokesperson provided a brief statement indicating the company is aware of the legal action. “We are reviewing the complaint. GM is committed to protecting consumers’ privacy,” the spokesperson said.
The lawsuit specifically focuses on General Motors’ Smart Driver program, which was the primary vehicle for the data collection and sales activities described in the complaint. However, General Motors discontinued the Smart Driver program in 2024, approximately two years before the lawsuit was filed.
Breitbart News has previously reported that cars collect data on drivers, leaving consumers searching for ways to delete the data. In the case of Chinese EVs, the data collected can turn cars into “rolling surveillance devices” sending data collected to a hostile foreign power.
Read more at KIMT News 3 here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
