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Some automakers offer insurance-related programs that use connected-car data, but the arrangements differ by brand, vehicle, service and consent. They are not proof that every automaker sends data to insurers. If you want to limit sharing, check the privacy notice and settings for your specific vehicle and services, then review any insurance-program consent separately.
What driver data can be shared?
Connected vehicles can collect information to provide services, and the data involved depends on the vehicle, feature and service. Toyota’s U.S. Connected Services Privacy Notice, dated July 1, 2026, gives examples of Driving Data such as acceleration, speed, braking and steering, as well as Location Data. These categories do not necessarily go to an insurer: the notice distinguishes insurance uses from other connected-service, emergency and service-provider uses.
Insurance-related sharing may be offered through an automaker, an insurer, or a service associated with an insurance program. The key questions are what the driver agreed to, which recipient gets the information, and how the program says it may be used.
How automaker programs differ
| Automaker or service | What the current U.S. materials describe | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| General Motors | GM’s current U.S. privacy statement says it may disclose Driver Behavior Information and Precise Geolocation Information to General Motors Insurance when a consumer gives affirmative consent for usage-based insurance offers or to help determine an insurance quote or policy rate. | Whether you consented to the specific insurance use, and what the applicable offer or policy says about pricing. |
| Toyota Connected Services | The July 1, 2026 U.S. notice describes an opt-in usage-based insurance service. It says Toyota may share Driving Data and Location Data with affiliates and non-affiliated insurance companies for usage-based insurance information and offers if the consumer gives express prior consent. | The notice and consent screen for your vehicle and service; the notice also describes other connected-service uses that are not the same as insurance sharing. |
| Volkswagen DriveView | DriveView terms cover eligible model-year 2020 and newer Volkswagen vehicles, subject to service requirements. A driver score may use average speed, hard braking and night driving. The optional program describes sharing GPS, driver behavior and other data with insurance-related companies for consideration for discounts. Enrollment requires an active myVW+ plan and Primary Driver status. | Current terms for vehicle eligibility, participating insurance-related companies and availability. An offer for a discount is not a guarantee of one. |
| Ford connected-vehicle settings | Ford’s U.S. privacy notice discusses Connected Vehicle Information and settings. It points drivers to the in-vehicle Settings menu to make changes, but the notice alone does not establish that Ford shares connected-vehicle data with insurers in all cases. | Your vehicle’s specific settings and any separate insurance or connected-service program. Ford also advises owners to inform other drivers and passengers that connected-vehicle data may be collected and used. |
These descriptions are not interchangeable: eligibility, available features and terms can vary by model, service enrollment and location, and notices can change.
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What the GM enforcement cases do—and do not—establish
Two 2026 regulatory actions concern GM’s past data practices. They are specific to GM and should not be treated as evidence that other automakers followed the same practices.
Federal Trade Commission order
On January 14, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission finalized an order resolving allegations about GM’s handling of connected-vehicle data. The FTC said the order bars GM from disclosing certain consumer geolocation and driver behavior data to consumer reporting agencies for five years. For the order’s 20-year term, GM must obtain affirmative express consent before collecting, using or sharing connected-vehicle data covered by the order, subject to exceptions such as emergency response. It must also provide U.S. consumers with ways to access and delete data, under the order’s terms.
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California settlement
In a May 2026 announcement, the California Privacy Protection Agency said its investigation found that GM sold names, contact information, geolocation and driving-behavior data to LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk from 2020 through 2024. The agency said the companies intended to develop a driver-rating product that could be marketed to insurers for potential rate-setting. The agency described a settlement with $12.75 million in civil penalties, a five-year restriction on selling driving data to consumer reporting agencies, and a requirement to delete retained data within 180 days subject to limited exceptions. It also said GM requested that LexisNexis and Verisk delete the driving data. The agency reported that GM made approximately $20 million nationwide from the sales at issue; that is a case-specific figure, not an estimate of the wider market.
The California announcement said California drivers were not directly impacted by those sales, likely because of state insurance laws. That case-specific statement does not establish how sharing or insurance use works in other states.
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How telematics can relate to insurance
Usage-based insurance (UBI) uses driving-related information in an insurance context. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners describes insurers analyzing measures such as hard braking, speed and time; some programs also have safety-related functions. The NAIC says UBI is becoming increasingly common and that many auto insurers offer it alongside traditional insurance, but it does not quantify the share of insurers or policies involved.
A program may use data to provide feedback, consider a discount, or help determine a quote or rate, depending on its terms. Do not assume that joining will automatically lower or raise your premium. Ask the insurer whether the data can affect your quote, discount, renewal or rate, and how the specific policy handles it.
How to check or limit sharing in your vehicle
- Identify what is enabled. Check the connected-services account and apps tied to the vehicle, including driver-feedback and insurance features.
- Read the applicable notice and terms. Use the current materials for your automaker, model, connected-services plan and country or state. Check the effective or updated date and search for terms such as “usage-based insurance,” “driver behavior,” “precise geolocation” and “insurance-related data sharing.” Note named recipients and stated purposes.
- Review consent separately from general service setup. Look for whether enrollment is optional, what data the specific permission covers, and how to withdraw it. GM and Toyota’s described insurance uses require affirmative or express prior consent, respectively.
- Check in-vehicle and app controls. Ford directs users to the in-vehicle Settings menu for changes. Check the companion app and service account too; a vehicle setting may not explain the terms of a separately enrolled insurance program.
- Use the program’s stated rights and exit process. If enrolled, follow its instructions to withdraw consent, opt out, access information or request deletion where those controls are available. GM’s FTC order requires U.S. access and deletion mechanisms within its scope and subject to its terms and exceptions.
- Ask the insurer how data is used. Find out whether it can affect a quote, discount, renewal or premium, and whether information comes from the automaker, a phone app, a plug-in device or another source. The answer can depend on the insurer, policy and state.
- Tell other regular drivers. Ford warns that another driver may change sharing settings. Make sure people who use a shared vehicle know about its connected services and how to review the settings.
Questions to compare before enrolling
- Enrollment: Is participation optional, and how can consent be withdrawn?
- Data: Does the program collect driving events, mileage, time, location, vehicle identifiers or other information, and for what period?
- Recipients and purpose: Does data go to an automaker affiliate, insurer, broker or service provider? Is it used for a discount offer, a rate or quote, feedback, or product development?
- Pricing: Can the information affect a quote, discount, renewal or rate under the policy?
- Controls: Can you disable collection, opt out, access or delete data, and determine whether another driver changed a setting?
- Eligibility: Which model years, connected services, insurance companies and states are included?
These are questions to ask of the particular program, not controls or practices guaranteed to be available in every one.
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