Part 2 of 2 Image An image from the Chevrolet Smart Driver app showing the driver's score of 50 for the week. A driver who was surprised to discover that he was enrolled in Smart Driver posted a screenshot of his low score to an online forum for Corvette drivers in 2022. Credit...The New York Times Jen Caltrider, a researcher at Mozilla who reviewed the privacy policies for more than 25 car brands last year, said that drivers have little idea about what they are consenting to when it comes to data collection. She said it is “impossible for consumers to try and understand” the legalese-filled policies for car companies, their connected services and their apps. She called cars “a privacy nightmare.” “The car companies are really good at trying to link these features to safety and say they are all about safety,” Ms. Caltrider said. “They’re about making money.” Neither the car companies nor the data brokers deny that they are engaged in this practice, though automakers say the main purpose of their driver feedback programs is to help people develop safer driving habits. After LexisNexis and Verisk get data from consumers’ cars, they sell information about how people are driving to insurance companies. To access it, the insurance companies must get consent from the drivers — say, when they go out shopping for car insurance and sign off on boilerplate language that gives insurance companies the right to pull third-party reports. (Insurance companies commonly ask for access to a consumer’s credit or risk reports, though they are barred from doing so in California, Massachusetts, Michigan and Hawaii.) An employee familiar with G.M.’s Smart Driver said the company’s annual revenue from the program is in the low millions of dollars. LexisNexis Risk Solutions, which retains consumers’ driving data for six months, has “strict privacy and security policies designed to ensure that data is not accessed or used impermissibly,” the company said in a statement. Verisk provides insurers with trip data and a risk score “approved by insurance regulators in 46 states and the District of Columbia,” said a spokeswoman, Amy Ebenstein. Automakers that Verisk gets data from “provide their customers notice and obtain appropriate consents,” she said. Image Screenshots from Mitsubishi’s app showing the definition of hard braking and different categories of roadside assistance. Mitsubishi has an optional feature in its app, “Driving Score,” that, when turned on, collects information about people’s driving.Credit...The New York Times Some drivers who had Smart Driver turned on, though, said they did not even realize they were enrolled until they saw warnings on online forums and then checked their app. They quickly unenrolled themselves by turning off Smart Driver in their car app. Omri Ben-Shahar, a law professor at the University of Chicago, said he was in favor of usage-based insurance — where insurers monitor mileage and driving habits to determine premiums — because people who are knowingly monitored are better drivers. “People drive differently,” he said. “The impact on safety is enormous.” But he was troubled, he said, by “stealth enrollment” in programs with “surprising and potentially injurious” data collection. There is no public safety benefit if people don’t know that how they drive will affect how much they pay for insurance. ‘Real-World Driving Behavior’ Image The steering wheel of a Subaru is seen through a window with reflections on it. Subaru, Kia and Mitsubishi also contribute driver data to LexisNexis.Credit...Ross Mantle for The New York Times General Motors is not the only automaker sharing driving behavior. Kia, Subaru and Mitsubishi also contribute to the LexisNexis “Telematics Exchange,” a “portal for sharing consumer-approved connected car data with insurers.” As of 2022, the exchange, according to a LexisNexis news release, has “real-world driving behavior” collected “from over 10 million vehicles.” Verisk also claims to have access to data from millions of vehicles and partnerships with major automakers, including Ford, Honda and Hyundai. Two of these automakers said they were not sharing data or only limited data. Subaru shares odometer data with LexisNexis for Subaru customers who turn on Starlink and authorize that data be shared “when shopping for auto insurance,” said a spokesman, Dominick Infante. Ford “does not transmit any connected vehicle data to either partner,” said a spokesman, Alan Hall, but partnered with them “to explore ways to support customers” who want to take part in usage-based insurance programs. Ford will share driving behavior from a car directly with an insurance company, he said, when a customer gives explicit consent via an in-vehicle touch screen. The other automakers all have optional driver-coaching features in their apps — Kia, Mitsubishi and Hyundai have “Driving Score,” while Honda and Acura have “Driver Feedback” — that, when turned on, collect information about people’s mileage, speed, braking and acceleration that is then shared with LexisNexis or Verisk, the companies said in response to questions from The New York Times. Image A screen from Honda's "Driver Feedback" app, with the headline, Respect for your privacy." Honda says driver data will not be shared without consent, but the user needs to read through a 2,000-word “terms and conditions” screen to see that the company is sharing data with Verisk. Credit...Honda But that would not be evident or obvious to drivers using these features. In fact, before a Honda owner activates Driver Feedback, a screen titled “Respect for your Privacy” assures drivers that “your data will never be shared without your consent.” But it is shared — with Verisk, a fact disclosed in a more than 2,000-word “terms and conditions” screen that a driver needs to click “accept” on. (Kia, by contrast, does highlight its relationship with LexisNexis Risk Solutions on its website, and a spokesman said LexisNexis can’t share driving score data of Kia participants with insurers without additional consent.) Drivers who have realized what is happening are not happy. The Palm Beach Cadillac owner said he would never buy another car from G.M. He is planning to sell his Cadillac. How to Find Out What Your Car Is Doing See the data your car is capable of collecting with this tool: https://vehicleprivacyreport.com/. Check your connected car app, if you use one, to see if you are enrolled in one of these programs. Do an online search for “privacy request form” alongside the name of your vehicle’s manufacturer. There should be instructions on how to request information your car company has about you. Request your LexisNexis report: https://consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/consumer Request your Verisk report: https://fcra.verisk.com/#/ Find something interesting, or know more about this? Contact me at kashmir.hill@nytimes.com. Susan C. Beachy contributed research. Kashmir Hill writes about technology and how it is changing people’s everyday lives with a particular focus on privacy. She has been covering technology for more than a decade. 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