Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated an investigation into several car manufacturers following reports that they have been collecting extensive data from drivers' vehicles and selling it to third parties, including insurance providers.
The Texas Deceptive Trade Practices – Consumer Protection Act empowers the Office of the Attorney General to investigate false, misleading, or deceptive acts. As part of this investigation, car manufacturers and the third parties involved are being instructed to produce documents relevant to their conduct. They are also required to provide documentation on the disclosures made to customers regarding their data collection practices and subsequent sale of this data.
“The technology in modern vehicles enables manufacturers to collect millions of data points about the people driving them,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Recently, consumers have grown extremely concerned that their driving data is being reported to their insurance company without their knowledge or authorization. These reports of the invasive and unmitigated collection and sale of data without consumer consent are disturbing, and they merit a thorough investigation and appropriate enforcement.”