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Some automakers have collected and disclosed connected-car location and driving data. The clearest documented example here is General Motors and OnStar: the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized an order in January 2026 after alleging that GM collected precise location and driving-behavior data without adequate notice and affirmative consent, then disclosed it to consumer reporting agencies. That does not mean every carmaker, vehicle, or driver has the same practices.
What “selling your data” means in this case
Connected vehicles can gather information such as location, driving behavior, telematics, biometrics, and video. What a specific car collects or transmits depends on its hardware, software, connected services, settings, and the choices made by its users. The FTC’s connected-vehicle guidance and Ford’s privacy notice describe these kinds of data and the role of vehicle-specific settings.
“Sale” can have a broader meaning in privacy law than a direct exchange of data for cash. Data may also be described as shared, disclosed, or transferred. In the GM matter, the FTC described disclosures to consumer reporting agencies; California authorities separately described sales to LexisNexis and Verisk. Those documented cases do not support a blanket claim that every connected vehicle sells every driver’s information.
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The FTC’s January 2025 allegations
In January 2025, the FTC alleged that GM and OnStar used a confusing enrollment process for some drivers and collected precise location and driving-behavior data, in some instances every three seconds. The agency said the information included events such as hard braking, speeding, and late-night driving, and was disclosed to consumer reporting agencies without adequate notice and consent. These were allegations in the FTC’s complaint announcement, not a finding that every GM customer was affected. Read the FTC’s 2025 announcement.
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The FTC’s January 2026 order
In January 2026, the FTC announced a finalized order with controls applying to GM and OnStar. For five years, GM is barred from disclosing covered geolocation and driving-behavior data to consumer reporting agencies. For 20 years, the order requires affirmative express consent for covered connected-vehicle data practices, mechanisms to request a data copy or deletion, a way to disable precise location collection when the vehicle supports it, and an opt-out from collection subject to limited exceptions. The order concerns GM and OnStar; it is not a universal vehicle setting or industry-wide rule. Read the FTC’s final-order announcement.
What California authorities said
California authorities announced a GM settlement that includes a $12.75 million civil penalty, deletion of retained driving data within 180 days subject to exceptions, requests to LexisNexis and Verisk to delete data, and a five-year stop on selling driving data to consumer reporting agencies. At the time of the announcement, the settlement was subject to court approval. The state characterized GM’s retention and sale practices as violations of California’s purpose-limitation and data-minimization requirements. Read the California announcement.
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The FTC said consumer reporting agencies used GM data to compile reports that insurers used to deny coverage or set rates. California authorities said California drivers were not directly affected by GM data sales for rate-setting because state insurance law prohibits using driving data for rates. That qualification is specific to California and should not be assumed to apply in other states.
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A 2023 Mozilla Foundation review of 25 car brands found that all 25 collected personal data, 84% shared or sold data, 92% gave drivers little to no control over personal data, and 68% received Mozilla’s “bad track record” finding for leaks, hacks, or breaches threatening privacy. These are findings about Mozilla’s reviewed sample, not a current census of automakers or a measurement of every make, model, or connected service. The figures are reproduced in a NIST Internet of Things Advisory Board document dated September 2023, which attributes them to Mozilla. See the NIST-hosted document.
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How to check and limit your car’s data collection
- Identify the exact vehicle and services. Note the make, model year, trim, and connected services you use. Check the manufacturer’s connected-vehicle privacy notice and the owner’s manual; menus and practices can vary by vehicle and software version.
- Review connected-service and app settings. Look for controls relating to location, driving behavior, analytics, voice features, and third-party app permissions. Turn off or opt out of collection where the vehicle and applicable rules allow it.
- For GM or OnStar, use the order’s applicable mechanisms. Review available consent, data-copy, deletion, and opt-out options. The ability to disable precise location collection depends on the vehicle’s technical capability, and limited exceptions may apply.
- Prepare carefully before selling or returning the car. Remove it from linked manufacturer and connectivity accounts, unpair phones, delete imported contacts and navigation destinations, and perform the manufacturer-recommended factory or connectivity reset. Follow the vehicle’s manual for the exact procedure.
Ford’s guidance, for example, tells owners to use a master/factory reset or connectivity reset and remove the vehicle from their Ford/AT&T account as applicable. Ford also directs owners to the connected-car app, in-vehicle menus, and owner’s manual, and notes that settings depend on the vehicle. These instructions are Ford-specific, not universal steps for other makes. Ford’s connected-vehicle privacy notice has the details.
A generic privacy gadget is not an established fix: the cited guidance supports using settings, account controls, privacy rights, and reset procedures, but does not show that a generic accessory blocks manufacturer telematics or erases data already held by a company or broker.
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How to compare data practices between cars
Compare the same model year and market, then check these points in each vehicle’s privacy notice and documentation:
- Which data categories are collected.
- Whether location is precise and how often it is transmitted.
- The stated purposes and recipients, including insurers, consumer reporting agencies, and service providers.
- Whether collection is opt-in or opt-out, and what deletion options are available.
- How long data is retained.
- Whether settings also apply to other drivers, passengers, and connected-app integrations.
The sources covered here do not provide a standardized, current ranking of automakers by privacy. A “least invasive” brand cannot be identified reliably from them alone.
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