GM touts OnStar as a service that will help consumers during an emergency and provide hands-free voice assistance and real-time traffic and navigation. The FTC says that over time, the company has increased the amount of data it collects through OnStar to include precise geolocation data- which is collected every three seconds for some users.

The Federal Trade Commission has taken action against General Motors and OnStar for allegedly sharing details about drivers to third parties without their consent. The agency launched an investigation into the automotive company after The New York Times found that GM had collected data about customers' vehicle use and sold it to third-party platforms used by insurance companies.

General Motors (GM) reached a settlement agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) which bans the company from disclosing consumers’ sensitive geolocation and driver behavior data to

General Motors reached an agreement to settle allegations that the automaker shared drivers’ locations and behavior data without their consent, the Federal Trade Commission said.

The U.S. carmaker had been harvesting drivers' data that was of particular value for insurers keen on better assessing the risk posed by policyholders.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced action against General Motors (GM) and its subsidiary, OnStar, for unlawful collection and sale of drivers' precise geolocation and driving behavior data without first obtaining their consent.

The US Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with General Motors Co. over claims the automaker deceived drivers by collecting their personal data and sharing it with third parties.

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

GM sold precise driver data collected through OnStar and a discontinued feature called Smart Driver. The information could have hiked insurance rates.

“GM monitored and sold people’s precise geolocation data and driver behavior information, sometimes as often as every three seconds,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement. “With this action, the FTC is safeguarding Americans’ privacy and protecting people from unchecked surveillance.”

General Motors and subsidiary OnStar will be banned for five years from sharing drivers' precise geolocation and driving behavior data with consumer reporting agencies, under a settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission, the FTC said in a release Thursday.

Biometric Update previously reported that cross-referenced anonymized disparate datasets can lead to de-anonymization and identification of individuals.