General Motors (OnStar)

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General Motors (OnStar) is a multinational automotive manufacturing company and its subsidiary, OnStar, which provides in-vehicle security, emergency, and navigation services. This article assesses the company's consumer protection stance, with a primary focus on the accessibility of emergency 911 services for non-subscribers of the OnStar service.

General Motors (OnStar)

Basic information
Founded	1908-09-16
Legal Structure	Public
Industry	Automotive, Technology, Information Technology
Official website	https://www.gm.com

Consumer-impact summary

Overview of concerns that arise from the conduct towards users of the product (if applicable):

• User Freedom
• User Privacy
• Business Model
• Market Control

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Business model

• The company's business model for its OnStar service includes paywalling a critical emergency 'SOS' button, preventing non-subscribers from using it for its primary purpose of contacting emergency services.

Incidents

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the General Motors (OnStar) category.

Data monetization

In 2025, GM settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) due to its misuse of the OnStar Smart Driver by collecting drivers' precise location every 3 seconds and driving data such as hard braking and quick acceleration then selling it without informed consent to consumer reporting agencies like LexisNexis and Verisk, which lead to insurance premium hikes or coverage denials.

They deceived consumers by claiming that some safety features would only activate if OnStar was enabled during purchase. The consent mechanisms was buried in a 29-page ToS and obscured its data-sharing practices.

Texas, Arkansas, and Nebraska sued GM for violating trade practices acts, citing lack of transparency and harm to consumers. The FTC imposed a 5-year ban on sharing data with insurers and mandated explicit consent.

Inaccessible Emergency 'SOS' Button (1996-Present)

This practice places a direct paywall on a critical, life-saving feature. The core of the issue rests on the classification of the OnStar system as a cellular communication device. The Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999 (the "911 Act") mandates that mobile service providers must transmit all 911 calls to a public safety answering point, regardless of whether the caller has a subscription. It has been argued that by preventing a direct connection to emergency services via its most prominent emergency button, OnStar's behavior for non-subscribers is inconsistent with the spirit of this federal law and the established public expectation for emergency communication devices.

Products

• OnStar (1996): An in-vehicle telematics system. The primary consumer issue involves the paywalling of its dedicated emergency SOS button for non-subscribers.

See also

• Right to Repair
• John Deere