Montana Sues General Motors Over Driver Data Privacy
The lawsuit alleges the automaker sold driver data to insurance carriers, potentially leading to higher premiums for owners.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Auto Parts
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Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has filed a lawsuit against General Motors over the unauthorized sale of personal driver data. The legal action alleges the automaker sold telematics data to third-party brokers, which insurance companies subsequently used to raise rates for vehicle owners.
Why it matters
This lawsuit highlights the privacy implications of connected vehicle technology, as personal driving habits are being traded without owner consent. For Montana households, this means data collected by your car could be directly impacting your monthly insurance premiums.
The lawsuit, filed by the Montana Attorney General, targets the unauthorized sharing of personal information including vehicle speed and seatbelt usage. The scope of this legal action covers data sold to third-party brokers and subsequently used by insurance carriers to adjust customer rates.
The players
General Motors
An automotive manufacturer that produces a wide range of consumer vehicles and has faced scrutiny over the privacy of in-vehicle telematics.
Austin Knudsen
The Attorney General of Montana who represents the state in legal actions regarding consumer protection and data privacy.
The details
General Motors collects granular telematics data directly from vehicle systems, which the lawsuit claims was then sold to third-party data brokers. These brokers bundled and resold this information to insurance carriers. Those companies then utilized this specific driving behavior to set higher insurance premiums for affected policyholders.
Timeline
October 16, 2026: Montana filed the lawsuit against General Motors.
The Home Front
This case sits at the center of growing regulatory scrutiny over how manufacturers treat the data generated by modern, connected vehicles. It marks a push to extend traditional consumer privacy rights into the automotive sector, challenging current data-sharing industry practices.
Review your vehicle's privacy settings in your infotainment system or mobile app to see what data sharing permissions are currently enabled. Contact your insurance provider to ask if your premium is currently influenced by telematics data collected through third-party programs.
The takeaway
The intersection of vehicle telematics and insurance pricing creates a significant privacy risk that owners must actively manage. Check your manufacturer's privacy policy and disable data-sharing permissions if you wish to limit the distribution of your driving habits.
Further reading
Learn more about managing your vehicle's connected features in our guide to Auto Parts.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bloomberglaw.
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Do you trust automobile manufacturers to protect your personal driving data from being sold to third parties?
