Link: GM banned from selling your driving data for five years

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has imposed a five-year ban on General Motors and its OnStar subsidiary from selling customer geolocation and driving behavior data. This decision follows a New York Times investigation revealing the undisclosed sale of such data to insurance firms and data brokers.

GM and OnStar were found to be misleading customers during the sign-up process for the OnStar service and Smart Driver feature. They failed to inform customers that their driving data was being collected and sold.

The investigation highlighted how customers were unaware of why their insurance premiums were increasing due to the undisclosed data sales. As a response, GM announced it would discontinue its OnStar Smart Driver program.

FTC Chair Lina Khan emphasized that GM monitored customers closely, sometimes every three seconds, and sold sensitive data. She noted that the FTC's actions aim to protect Americans' privacy and curb unchecked surveillance.

Under the new settlement, GM must now obtain explicit consent from vehicle owners before gathering their driving data. Additionally, customers will have the right to request and delete their data if they choose.

GM has publicly committed to prioritizing customer privacy following this settlement, according to an unsigned company statement. #

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Yoooo, this is a quick note on a link that made me go, WTF? Find all past links here.