How to Stop Your Car From Sharing Data With Insurers

How Your Car Shares Data With Insurance Companies

Modern connected vehicles collect hundreds of data points per second: GPS location, speed, acceleration, braking force, cornering behavior, seatbelt usage, and even time of day. This data flows through your car's built-in cellular modem to the manufacturer's servers — continuously, in the background, whether you're driving or not.

Car manufacturers then sell access to this data through intermediary platforms. The two biggest are LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Verisk (which operates the Driving Score program). Insurance companies pay these platforms for your driving profile when you apply for coverage or renew a policy. Some insurers pull it automatically without telling you.

A 2023 New York Times investigation found that GM's OnStar Smart Driver program had shared driving data from over 1.5 million vehicles with LexisNexis and Verisk — often without drivers realizing they had enrolled. Some drivers saw their insurance premiums increase by hundreds of dollars per year as a direct result.

The data pipeline looks like this: your car → manufacturer's connected services platform → data broker (LexisNexis / Verisk) → your insurance company. Every link in that chain is a place where you can intervene.

Step 1 — Opt Out of Your Manufacturer's Connected Services

This is the most important step. Each manufacturer has a different platform and a different opt-out process. Here is what to do for the most common brands:

GM (Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac): Log into your OnStar account at onstar.com or call 1-888-466-7827. Navigate to Account Settings → Privacy → Data Sharing and disable 'Smart Driver' and all third-party data sharing. You can also request deletion of your historical driving data under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) regardless of what state you live in — GM honors these requests nationally.

Ford (Ford, Lincoln): Log into FordPass at fordpass.com. Go to Account → Privacy Settings → Connected Vehicle Data. Disable 'Ford Analytics' and opt out of the Ford Motor Company Data Sharing program. You can also call Ford Customer Service at 1-800-392-3673 and request a full opt-out.

Toyota / Lexus: Log into your Toyota Connected Services account at toyota.com/connected-services. Under Privacy Settings, disable 'Vehicle Data Collection' and 'Third-Party Sharing.' Toyota's opt-out is buried — look for the 'Data Privacy' section specifically, not the general account settings.

Honda / Acura: Log into MyHonda or MyAcura at owners.honda.com. Navigate to Privacy → Data Sharing Preferences and disable 'Allow Tesla to Use Camera, Ultrasonic Sensor, and GPS Data.' Note that Tesla retains the right to collect some data for safety and software update purposes regardless of your settings.

Step 2 — Request Your Data From LexisNexis and Verisk

Even after you opt out going forward, the data brokers may already have years of your driving history on file. You need to request it, review it, and dispute any inaccuracies.

LexisNexis: Visit lexisnexis.com/privacy/request-your-data or call 1-800-456-6004. Request your full consumer disclosure report under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). You are entitled to one free report per year. Review it carefully — look for driving incidents, hard braking events, and any data that seems inaccurate or that you don't recognize.

Verisk / ISO: Visit verisk.com/insurance/opt-out or call 1-800-888-4476. Request your driving data file and review it for accuracy. Verisk operates the 'Driving Score' program that many insurers use directly.

If you find inaccurate data, you have the right to dispute it under the FCRA. Both LexisNexis and Verisk are required to investigate disputes within 30 days and correct or delete inaccurate information. Document everything in writing.

You can also request deletion of your data under state privacy laws. California (CCPA), Virginia (VCDPA), Colorado (CPA), and several other states give residents the right to request deletion of personal data held by data brokers. Even if you don't live in one of these states, many companies honor these requests nationally to simplify compliance.

Step 3 — Audit Your Insurance Company's Data Sources

Contact your insurance company directly and ask them: 'What data sources do you use to set my premium, and have you received any driving data from LexisNexis, Verisk, or any other telematics provider?' You have the right to know.

Under the FCRA, if an insurance company takes an adverse action against you (raises your rates, denies coverage, or changes your terms) based on a consumer report, they are required to notify you and tell you which reporting agency provided the data. If you've had a rate increase you can't explain, this is worth investigating.

Ask your insurer specifically about their use of the LexisNexis Telematics Exchange and Verisk's Driving Score. These are the two primary pipelines through which manufacturer data reaches insurers. If your insurer uses either, request the specific data they received about you.

Some insurers also have their own telematics programs — Progressive Snapshot, State Farm Drive Safe & Save, Allstate Drivewise. These are opt-in programs that use a separate device or app. If you enrolled in one of these, that is a separate data stream you should also evaluate and potentially opt out of.

Step 4 — Disable the OBD-II Port (For Older Vehicles)

If your vehicle is older (pre-2018) and doesn't have built-in cellular connectivity, the primary data risk is the OBD-II port — the diagnostic port under your dashboard. Insurance companies and third-party apps use plug-in dongles that connect here to collect driving data.

If you have any plug-in device in your OBD-II port that you didn't install yourself, remove it. Some dealerships install these without telling customers. Some insurance companies mail them as part of discount programs. If you don't know what it is, it should not be there.

Even without a dongle, some third-party apps (gas station apps, parking apps, roadside assistance apps) request OBD-II access through your phone's Bluetooth connection. Review the permissions of every app on your phone that has any connection to your vehicle and revoke access to anything that doesn't absolutely need it.

Also review your Google and Apple account settings for 'Timeline' or 'Significant Locations' features — these create detailed records of everywhere you've driven. Disable them and delete historical data.

Be especially careful with apps that offer insurance discounts in exchange for location access. These are explicit data collection programs. The discount is almost never worth the long-term premium impact.

Step 5 — Manage Your Phone's Location Data

Your smartphone is a secondary data collection vector that most people overlook. Google Maps, Apple Maps, and dozens of other apps track your location continuously and can infer driving behavior from movement patterns. Some of this data finds its way to insurance companies through data broker networks.

On iPhone: Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services. Review every app that has 'Always' location access and change it to 'While Using' or 'Never' for apps that don't need it. Disable 'Significant Locations' under System Services.

On Android: Go to Settings → Location → App Permissions. Review and restrict location access for all apps. Disable 'Google Location History' in your Google Account settings at myaccount.google.com/data-and-privacy.

Also review your Google and Apple account settings for 'Timeline' or 'Significant Locations' features — these create detailed records of everywhere you've driven. Disable them and delete historical data.

Be especially careful with apps that offer insurance discounts in exchange for location access. These are explicit data collection programs. The discount is almost never worth the long-term premium impact.

What to Do If Your Rates Already Went Up

If you believe your insurance rates increased because of telematics data, here is your action plan:

First, request your CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report from LexisNexis at lexisnexis.com/privacy. This is the primary insurance data file that insurers use. Review it for any driving data entries.

Second, file a complaint with your state's Department of Insurance. Explain that you believe your rates were increased based on telematics data you did not knowingly consent to share. Several states are actively investigating this practice and your complaint adds to the record.

Third, shop your insurance. If your current insurer has your driving data, switching to a new insurer who hasn't pulled it yet can result in significantly lower rates — at least until the new insurer runs their data check.

Fourth, consider filing a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. The CFPB has jurisdiction over data brokers and has been increasingly active in this space. Your complaint creates a paper trail that supports broader regulatory action.