General Motors stock faces $220 million privacy settlement

General Motors will pay $220 million to settle allegations that it sold consumers' private driving behavior and location data to third parties, according to a statement published by the Maryland Attorney General on Thursday, October 29, 2026. The agreement with a coalition of 36 state attorneys general also imposes new consent and privacy requirements on the automaker.

General Motors stock traded at 80.31 euros on Lang & Schwarz at 1:41 p.m. CET on Thursday, November 12, 2026. The agreement is the latest regulatory issue for investors assessing the cost of GM's connected-vehicle services and the controls around customer information.

Consent rules reshape connected services

The states alleged that GM's Smart Driver program collected geolocation and driving information and that data brokers then sold it to insurance companies. The information included trip times, driving frequency, hard braking, rapid acceleration and speed relative to the limit. The allegations cover conduct from 2016 through 2024, when millions of drivers were enrolled.

The Maryland statement said drivers were told Smart Driver would support safer driving and that their information would not be shared with insurers without express consent. The states alleged instead that GM sold the information under arrangements intended for insurance products, potentially affecting premiums. GM discontinued the program after reporting brought the practices to public attention, according to the statement.

The settlement requires affirmative, express consent before GM collects or discloses driving and location data. It also requires the company to limit the data it collects, maintain a comprehensive privacy program and undergo regular internal and external assessments. Dealership oversight and staff training are intended to reduce enrollment in data-collection services without customer consent.

The Maryland attorney general's office also said the coalition alleged that an OnStar app incorrectly told more than 370,000 drivers that they were not enrolled in Smart Driver even though their data was being collected and sold. That allegation adds a customer-notification risk to the wider compliance burden.

Investors weigh compliance and trust

The settlement does not by itself establish that every allegation was proven in court, but it raises the operating requirements for GM's connected-services business. Higher compliance costs, tighter consent processes and possible damage to customer trust are the main investor considerations; the effect on future revenue is not specified in the settlement statement.

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