GM Pays $12.75M for Selling OnStar Driver Data to Brokers

GM is shelling out $12.75 million to settle a California investigation that accused the Detroit automaker of illegally selling location and driving data from OnStar subscribers to data brokers.

The allegations cut straight to the core of connected car privacy. OnStar, GM's in-vehicle service, collects granular data on where drivers go and how they drive. California investigators claimed GM sold that data without proper consent or legal authority.

The $12.75 million resolution sends a clear signal: regulators are watching how automakers monetize the data their vehicles hoover up. Connected cars are rolling surveillance platforms, and the line between feature and exploitation keeps getting thinner.

For OnStar subscribers, it's a stark reminder — the service tracking your location might also be packaging that info for the highest bidder.