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The FTC’s GM Data-Sharing Order Is Final: What Drivers Need to Know

The FTC finalized its order against GM and OnStar in January 2026, setting a five-year restriction on consumer-reporting disclosures and 20 years of privacy obligations.
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The Federal Trade Commission finalized its order against General Motors LLC, General Motors Holdings LLC, and OnStar LLC on January 14, 2026. The order bars disclosure of covered driver data to consumer reporting agencies for five years and requires consent and other privacy controls for 20 years. It resolves the FTC’s case, but the agency’s allegations about past data practices should not be confused with requirements imposed by the final order.

What the FTC alleged about GM and OnStar

In its complaint and announcement, the FTC alleged that GM used a misleading enrollment process for OnStar and its Smart Driver feature. The agency said consumers were not clearly told that Smart Driver collected precise location and driving-behavior data or that GM disclosed data to third parties, including consumer reporting agencies. According to the FTC, those agencies compiled consumer reports that insurers used when making coverage and rate decisions. These are allegations described by the FTC, not findings reached after a trial. FTC announcement, January 16, 2025

In that announcement, FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said GM monitored and sold data “sometimes as often as every three seconds.” The frequency was attributed to some users; it should not be read as applying to every GM vehicle or driver. The FTC also quoted an unnamed consumer who said they had not been told their data would be reported to a third party.

What the final order requires

The order names General Motors LLC, General Motors Holdings LLC, and OnStar LLC as respondents. Its principal consumer protections run for 20 years, while the restriction on disclosures to consumer reporting agencies has a separate, shorter term. FTC case page, matter 2423052

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Five years without covered-data disclosures to consumer reporting agencies

For five years from entry of the order, respondents may not disclose Covered Driver Data to a person acting as a consumer reporting agency. This is the order’s specific time-limited restriction; it is not the duration of the entire order.

Affirmative consent for covered data

Within 180 days of the order’s effective date, respondents must obtain affirmative express consent before collecting, using, or disclosing covered driver data to a third party. Separate, unrelated services or features require separate consent. The order includes exceptions, including emergency response, certain communications initiated by a consumer or vehicle, and legal compliance.

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Minimization, retention, access, and deletion

The order requires data minimization and a documented retention schedule. It also requires deletion or destruction of previously retained covered data, subject to specified exceptions and deadlines. GM must provide an easily located way for U.S. consumers to request a copy of their covered driver data or request its deletion, subject to applicable legal exceptions. Before sharing data again with certain prior third-party recipients, GM must request that they delete it.

Controls for location and remote collection

Where a vehicle has the necessary technology, consumers must be allowed to disable collection of Location Data. Consumers who decline or leave OnStar must also be allowed to disable remote collection of vehicle data, with exceptions for specified safety, response, legal, and update-related purposes. The order does not establish that every GM vehicle has a location-disabling control or that every type of collection can be switched off.

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Which vehicles and drivers are covered?

The order’s definition covers U.S. retail GM-branded motor vehicles used by individual consumers for personal use, including Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick. It excludes specified fleet, rental, business, government, scrapped, and stolen vehicles. The order’s definitions and exceptions determine the precise scope; the protections should not be assumed to apply identically to every vehicle associated with GM. Final order

What GM drivers can conclude—and what remains unknown

The order creates obligations for the named companies, including consent and data-control measures, but the official case materials do not establish whether GM has completed every implementation step. They also do not document the current controls for any particular model year. Drivers seeking instructions for a specific vehicle should consult current GM or OnStar documentation rather than assume a universal menu path or switch.

The FTC case page identifies the matter as 2423052, docket C-4828, and lists its status as “Under Order,” with final-order filings dated January 14, 2026. The FTC described its January 2025 action as its first related to connected-vehicle data; that characterization refers to the agency’s own enforcement actions, not all regulators’ activity in this area. FTC case status and filings

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