Privacy enforcement action where the FTC settled with General Motors and OnStar for collecting and selling consumers' geolocation and driving behavior data without adequate notice or consent. The order prohibits sharing data with consumer reporting agencies and requires transparency and consumer choice measures.
GM is banned from disclosing consumers' geolocation and driver behavior data to consumer reporting agencies for five years. For 20 years, GM must obtain affirmative consent before collecting or sharing connected vehicle data, provide data access and deletion options, allow disabling geolocation collection, and offer opt-out capabilities with limited exceptions.
In-house legal teams should review customer-facing agreements (e.g., vehicle purchase/lease agreements, OnStar subscription terms) and vendor/data sharing agreements to ensure they contain clear, unambiguous clauses regarding the collection, use, and sale of sensitive geolocation and driving behavior data. Specific clauses to scrutinize include those governing consumer consent (requiring affirmative, not implied, consent), third-party data sharing (especially prohibitions on sharing with consumer reporting agencies), data transparency obligations (disclosing what data is collected and for what purposes), and consumer choice mechanisms (opt-out rights). Agreements may need amendments to explicitly list geolocation and driver behavior data as sensitive, mandate separate consent for their sale, restrict sharing with consumer reporting agencies, and provide layered, conspicuous privacy notices.
Entity
General Motors LLC, General Motors Holdings LLC, and OnStar, LLC
Also known as: General Motors
Industry
AutomotiveOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/01/ftc-finalizes-order-settling-allegations-gm-onstar-collected-sold-geolocation-data-without-consumers
GMAdminOrderDec2025
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/GMAdminOrderDec2025.pdf
ftc takes action against general motors sharing drivers prec
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-takes-action-against-general-motors-sharing-drivers-precise-location-driving-behavior-data
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"General Motors LLC, General Motors Holdings LLC, and OnStar, LLC (collectively GM)"
"collected, used, and sold consumers’ precise geolocation data and driving behavior data from millions of vehicles without adequately notifying consumers and obtaining their affirmative consent."
The FTC filed a complaint alleging that GovAssist LLC, Entry LLC, and Scott Zuckerman used deceptive paid search ads, misleading service and pricing claims, and fake reviews to deceive consumers seeking passport services. The complaint alleges violations of the FTC Act, the Impersonation Rule, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act; the case will be decided by the court, and no penalty or remedy is reported as imposed.
The FTC issued its annual report to Congress describing fraud trends affecting older adults and the agency’s enforcement, education, and outreach efforts. The report is not a specific privacy enforcement action and announces no penalty or remedy.
The FTC referred a complaint against REPS & Company Inc. and company executives, alleging they bypassed ticket-issuer security controls and purchasing limits to acquire millions of tickets for resale. The complaint was filed by the Department of Justice, and the case will be decided by the court; the press release does not report a penalty or other remedy imposed.
$106.8M
A federal court entered a $106.8 million default judgment against corporate defendants in an alleged debt-relief scheme that impersonated banks and government entities and targeted seniors and veterans. The judgment permanently bans the defendants from the debt-relief industry and imposes additional prohibitions, including on impersonation, telemarketing, and misrepresentations.
The FTC sued Digital Forensics Corporation LLC and affiliated defendants, alleging they misled sextortion victims with promises of investigative and monitoring services that often were not provided, and used fake positive reviews. A federal court granted the FTC’s request to temporarily halt the defendants’ activities; the complaint remains for the court to decide.
The FTC alleged that Greenway Auto Group advertised vehicle prices thousands of dollars below the amounts consumers actually paid and used mailers falsely suggesting recipients had won cash prizes. Greenway agreed to an order requiring transparent pricing and prohibiting deceptive prize mailers and other misrepresentations; the press release does not state a monetary penalty.