OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A multistate coalition has reached a settlement with a major auto manufacturer over privacy concerns.

State Attorney General Nick Brown says that as part of the settlement with General Motors, $12.3 million will be paid to impacted Washington residents.

GM had been accused of signing customers up for its Smart Driver program with the promise that their data wouldn’t be shared.

But an investigation found that the data made its way to insurance companies, allowing them to change customers’ rates based on their driving patterns.

AG Brown also noted that car dealers were incentivized to offer Smart Driver signups to prospective customers.

GM discontinued the Smart Driver program shortly after the New York Times released its own investigative findings in 2024.