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Texas Sues General Motors, Alleging Illegal Selling of Driver Data (cnn.com) 25
In a press release today, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he has filed a lawsuit against General Motors, alleging the carmaker illegally collected and sold drivers' data to insurance companies without their consent or knowledge. CNN reports: In car models from 2015 and later, the Detroit-based car manufacturer allegedly used technology to "collect, record, analyze, and transmit highly detailed driving data about each time a driver used their vehicle," according to the AG's statement. General Motors sold this information to several other companies, including to at least two companies for the purpose of generating "Driving Scores" about GM's customers, the AG alleged. The suit said those two companies then sold these scores to insurance companies.
Insurance companies can use data to see how many times people exceeded a speed limit or obeyed other traffic laws. Some insurance firms ask customers if they want to voluntarily opt-in to such programs, promising lower rates for safer drivers. But the attorney general's office claimed GM "deceived" its Texan customers by encouraging them to enroll in programs such as OnStar Smart Driver. But by agreeing to join these programs, customers also unknowingly agreed to the collection and sale of their data, the attorney general's office said. "Despite lengthy and convoluted disclosures, General Motors never informed its customers of its actual conduct -- the systematic collection and sale of their highly detailed driving data," the AG's office said in a statement. The filing can be read here (PDF).
Insurance companies can use data to see how many times people exceeded a speed limit or obeyed other traffic laws. Some insurance firms ask customers if they want to voluntarily opt-in to such programs, promising lower rates for safer drivers. But the attorney general's office claimed GM "deceived" its Texan customers by encouraging them to enroll in programs such as OnStar Smart Driver. But by agreeing to join these programs, customers also unknowingly agreed to the collection and sale of their data, the attorney general's office said. "Despite lengthy and convoluted disclosures, General Motors never informed its customers of its actual conduct -- the systematic collection and sale of their highly detailed driving data," the AG's office said in a statement. The filing can be read here (PDF).
Ken Paxton (Score:1, Funny)
Is upset that he can’t use it to track women who went out of state for an abortion. He isn’t doing this because he cares about your privacy.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Or maybe, he is just concerned that Texans privacy is protected from a corporation like GM...
Re: (Score:3)
If Tesla gets caught selling their drivers data -- then I would expect a similar action from the Texan attorney general. In the mean time, GM has actually been caught with they hand in the cookie jar, per: "On March 11, the New York Times published a report detailing the story of Kenn Dahl. Two years ago, Dahl found his insurance costs for his Chevrolet Bolt spiked by 21%. The increase is the result of his driving habits, though Dahl has never been in an accident. Without his knowledge, Dahl had agreed that
Re: (Score:2)
What makes you expect that from him?
What I expect is that the suit against GM is a political stunt that he'll let die in the courts, unless GM refuses to cough up whatever personal payola he's demanding from them.
You do know this is Ken Paxton we're talking about? I've been waiting for him to do something for me, as a Texan, for a long time, and it hasn't happened yet.
What gives you this unshakeable confidence in Ken Paxton?
Re: (Score:2)
Oooh I love the troll downvote from obvious non native Texans.
Re: (Score:1)
I'm not aware that China can arbitrarily shut down any EVs, let alone non-Chinese EVs. Nor have I heard of the cases you mentioned of dealerships remotely locking people in their cars. That sounds like kidnapping to me.
Do you have any evidence to back either of these fairly remarkable claims?
Re: (Score:3)
He isn’t doing this because he cares about your privacy.
whats up with the vapid cretin bots here? this shit doesn't work here, it barely works on facebook or twitter
Re: Ken Paxton (Score:1)
The vocabulary, the raw hatred, and the disgust in your messages are why I'm pretty sick of these discussions.
Re: (Score:2)
Proposed Settlement (Score:1, Informative)
Paxton is willing to withdraw the suit if GM gives his mistress a cushy gig [wikipedia.org].
I'll be damned (Score:3)
I never thought I'd agree with Ken Paxton about something. I guess even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Re: (Score:1)
Paxton simply hasn't yet gotten a payoff from GM. He'll sell out as soon as GM pays up to either him or the GQP of Texas.
Re: (Score:2)
I was going to say the same, thing, so...
<AOL> ME TOO! </AOL>
Not to be trusted (Score:1, Flamebait)
" the attorney general’s office claimed GM “deceived” its Texan customers by encouraging them to enroll in programs such as OnStar Smart Driver. But by agreeing to join these programs, customers also unknowingly agreed to the collection and sale of their data, the attorney general’s office said."
Seems very weak. Paxton is all about grandstanding, this suit probably has no merit in court just like countless other things he has filed.
Re:Not to be trusted (Score:5, Insightful)
TO be fair, most customers didn't sign up for those things - the salesperson signed them up. They just told them about the feature, brought it up on the infotainment system, turned it on and then clicked Accept before the user could read what they were doing.
It would not surprise me of overzealous salespersons showing customers how their new car works sign up for the service along the lines of "your new car comes with 2 free years of service!".
What was illegal about this in Texas (Score:2)
This sounds like the type of lawsuit to bring during an election year. Frivolous and bound to go no where because filing suit claiming that someone unknowingly agreed to something on their behalf not only is on shaky ground legally (OneStar is locked behind an EULA), but it almost certainly lacks standing as well.
Re: (Score:2)
This sounds like the type of lawsuit to bring during an election year. Frivolous and bound to go no where because filing suit claiming that someone unknowingly agreed to something on their behalf not only is on shaky ground legally (OneStar is locked behind an EULA), but it almost certainly lacks standing as well.
Feels more like a signal to Musk that the local GOP is on his side (and is willing to use legal mechanisms to screw with competitors).
Re: (Score:1)
I'm no fan of Paxton's, AT ALL. But AGs regularly bring suits against companies that have acted badly against the citizens of their state, but have not directly harmed the state. The oxycontin suit against Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, for instance.
Enable this for a discount (Score:2)
You can't unknowingly agree (Score:2)
But by agreeing to join these programs, customers also unknowingly agreed to the collection and sale of their data, the attorney general's office said.
You can't "unknowingly agree" to something. That's a contradiction in terms. Agreeing to something is a conscious act. If you don't know you're agreeing to it, then by definition you aren't agreeing to it.