GM agreed to pay $220 million and obtain drivers' express consent
Business
General Motors (GM) just agreed to pay $220 million after being accused of sharing drivers' location and behavior data without asking.
36 states said GM sold this information through its old Smart Driver program, all without clear user permission.
Now, GM has to limit the data it collects and obtain "express consent" from drivers before collecting their information.
Smart driver data raised insurance premiums
Smart Driver tracked things like how fast you accelerated and the length of your trips.
That information allegedly ended up with data brokers and insurance companies, sometimes leading to higher premiums for drivers who had no idea their habits were being shared.
As Oregon's attorney general put it, GM's actions broke trust and hit some drivers in the wallet.