April 18, 2019—A proposed class action lawsuit against General Motors alleges that vehicle owners should be compensated for data that the OEM collects from connected vehicles, according to a report by carcomplaints.com.
According to the lawsuit, data from connected cars could, in theory, be worth more than the vehicles, and OEMs like GM allegedly have no right to use that information for free.
According to the report, plaintiff Gregory L. Melman of California leased a 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV last year and claims he has lost money due to GM's unfair business practices. Mehlman feels his information is valuable, and that he has a right to be compensated for data every time he operates his vehicle, but, conversely, GM allegedly illegally profits from such data.
The lawsuit claims that, by a decade from now, the market for in-vehicle connectivity is expected to reach $750 billion.
