General Motors and its subsidiary OnStar are facing a lawsuit from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, who alleges that the companies engaged in deceptive practices by collecting and selling personal driving data of Indiana residents without their knowledge or consent.
According to the complaint filed in Marion Superior Court, General Motors marketed the OnStar “Smart Driver” system as a feature designed to help drivers improve vehicle performance and reduce wear and tear. However, the lawsuit claims that instead of serving only these purposes, the companies used the telematics system to collect detailed information about driving behavior—including speed, braking habits, and driving times—and sold this data to brokers. These brokers then created risk profiles and driving scores for insurance companies, which could lead to higher premiums or policy cancellations for affected drivers.
Attorney General Rokita stated, “Everyone deserves transparency and honesty from the companies they do business with, especially when it comes to having their data protected. General Motors and OnStar turned a supposed safety feature into a way to make money, profiting off Indiana drivers without their knowledge. We’re taking action to hold them accountable and protect our consumers from these deceptive practices.”
The lawsuit further alleges that General Motors used unfair methods to encourage customers to activate OnStar services during an onboarding process. Once enrolled, customers’ participation was treated as consent for their data to be collected and sold—even though they were not explicitly informed of these actions.
Attorney General Rokita is seeking a permanent injunction against these practices, along with civil penalties and consumer restitution. He added, “Hoosiers were secretly misled and used. Their actions are unacceptable and we’re fighting back to ensure this type of behavior never happens again.”
The Indiana Attorney General’s office encourages residents who believe they may have been affected by these practices to file complaints through indianaconsumer.com or by calling 1-800-382-5516.
