How can you find out if your car is spying on you for your insurance company?

FILE-The dashboard of a car is seen with the driver's hand on the steering wheel. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The Brief

Drivers' data is shared with their auto insurance companies without their knowledge.
This data is obtained from cars with internet-connected service features. The information provided to the insurance company can affect the driver’s policy rate.
LexisNexis, a data analytics company, collects this data from automakers and shares it with auto insurance companies.

Drivers have different habits when they are behind the wheel of a car, from how quickly they step on the brakes to the speed they travel on the highway.

And while these driving tendencies seem common, there is a way for this to be tracked and shared with your auto insurance company.

The New York Times published a report detailing how auto manufacturers like General Motors are sharing consumer driving habits information with LexisNexis, a data analytics company. Once LexisNexis has the driver information, they provide it to auto insurance companies.

This driver data-collection practice was discovered by drivers with the OnStar Smart Driver feature, one of General Motors connected services, which is used for emergency service calls for assistance.

The data sharing practice is happening more often with internet-connected cars and drivers with these vehicles are unaware that this sensitive information is provided to their auto insurance company.

According to the New York Times story, a man leasing a Chevy Bolt learned that his driving habits were shared with his auto insurance company after he found out his insurance rate spiked by 21%. He told the Times he was unaware that his driving information was monitored and shared with his insurance provider.

The Source

This story includes information from a New York Times report from May 2024 cited by Car and Driver. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.