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The settlement comes after a New York Times<\/em> investigation<\/a> found that GM had been collecting micro-details<\/a> about its customers\u2019 driving habits, including acceleration, braking, and trip length \u2014 and then selling it to insurance companies and third-party data brokers like LexisNexis and Verisk. Clueless vehicle owners were then left wondering why their insurance premiums were going up.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For example, one consumer told a GM customer service representative that \u201c[w]hen I signed up for this, it was so OnStar could track me. They said nothing about reporting it to a third party. Nothing. [\u2026] You guys are affecting our bottom line. I pay you, now you\u2019re making me pay more to my insurance company.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI pay you, now you\u2019re making me pay more to my insurance company.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n FTC accused GM of using a \u201cmisleading enrollment process\u201d to get vehicle owners to sign up for its OnStar connected vehicle service and Smart Driver feature. The automaker failed to disclose to customers that it was collecting their data, nor did GM seek out their consent to sell it to third parties. After the Times<\/em> exposed the practice, GM said<\/a> it was discontinuing its OnStar Smart Driver program. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cGM monitored and sold people\u2019s precise geolocation data and driver behavior information, sometimes as often as every three seconds,\u201d\u00a0FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement. \u201cWith this action, the FTC is safeguarding Americans\u2019 privacy and protecting people from unchecked surveillance.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n