Montana investigates Ford, Stellantis for selling driver data

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has launched an investigation into recent reports that Ford and Stellantis have collected and sold personal driving data to third-party companies.

The reports allege that both companies sell driver data to third parties, such as LexisNexis and Verisk Analytics.

Knudsen is demanding that the companies provide all products, services, or platforms that collect driving data or personal information. 

Both companies have one month to respond to the Civil Investigative Demand (CID).

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird also recently filed a lawsuit against General Motors (GM) and Onstar for what it claims is the unlawful collection and selling of data from Iowans without their knowledge or consent, a press release says. 

In January, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized a 20-year order with GM and OnStar to settle allegations that they collected, used, and sold geolocation data and driving behavior data from millions of vehicles nationwide without consumer consent and notification.

According to a GM news release, at that time, the company ended its Smart Driver program in 2024 due to customer feedback. Customers were unenrolled, and GM ended its relationships with LexisNexis and Verisk, the release says. The company also said at the time that it consolidated its many U.S. privacy statements into a single, simpler statement to raise the bar on privacy.

Lawsuits have been filed by attorneys general in Arkansas, Nebraska, and Texas against GM, as well as by a Florida consumer over the same alleged activity. 

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