General Motors got caught selling OnStar customer data without the knowledge or permission of the vehicle owners. A lawsuit from the Attorney General of Texas caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission and cast a spotlight on the behavior of selling comprehensive surveillance data from the Silverado and other vehicles.

General Motors and its subsidiary OnStar are banned from selling customer geolocation and driving behavior data for five years, the Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday.

The Federal Trade Commission has taken action against General Motors and OnStar for selling location and driving data from

The automaker was accused of collecting drivers' behavior data without their knowledge and providing it to third-party agencies that set insurance rates.

On Thursday, the agency issued a proposed order to ban the company from selling such data to consumer reporting agencies for five years. In its complaint, the FTC alleged that GM

General Motors and its subsidiary OnStar agreed to a settlement that prohibits them from sharing driver location and behavior data with third parties, the Federal Trade Commission announced yesterday.

This is the first action the federal agency has taken regarding connected vehicle data. “Respecting our customers’ privacy and earning their trust is deeply important to us. Although Smart Driver was created to promote safer driving behavior,

General Motors – once a trusted symbol of American innovation – was outed last year for secretly collecting and selling drivers' detailed driving information without their consent, with its OnStar Smart Driver technology.

General Motors failed to disclose to customers that it tracked their precise locations and driving behavior and sold the data to third parties, the Federal Trade Commission alleged in a proposed order.