Five Lessons From California’s OnStar Privacy Settlement

California has reached a $12.75 million settlement with General Motors over the company’s treatment of OnStar driving data. This case follows a similar settlement between the company and the Federal Trade Commission, finalized in January. 

According to CalPrivacy’s press release, GM collected both contact information and geolocation and driving‑behavior data from OnStar users. The summary of facts from CalPrivacy aligns with the FTC’s description of GM’s OnStar program. According to the FTC’s complaint, OnStar users could decline to accept the OnStar terms and privacy policy, but if they did, the FTC alleged the enrollment process was confusing and did not clearly explain which features would work and which would not work.