Provision record
General Motors · GM Privacy Statement · View original document ↗

Vehicle Sale and Transfer Data Persistence

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Document Record

What it is

The policy discloses that personal information stored in a vehicle, including contacts, address searches, and preferences, may remain accessible to future vehicle users if not deleted prior to sale or transfer, and encourages but does not require the owner to delete this data before transfer.

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This analysis describes what General Motors's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This provision establishes that data deletion before vehicle sale or transfer is the responsibility of the current owner rather than a system-enforced process, and that failure to delete may result in personal information being accessible to subsequent vehicle users.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium Jun 18, 2026

The updated statement narrowed its definition of personal information from 'identifies, relates to, or could reasonably be linked to you' to 'describes, relates to, or could reasonably be linked to you.' This language change affects which information GM must treat as personal information under the policy. The revised de-identification section reorganizes prior language, now stating GM 'may use technical measures to remove information that could reasonably identify you or your vehicle' and requires 'the same safeguards from any third parties we share it with.' The policy clarifies that its protections apply to personal information dealers disclose to GM, but do not cover dealers' independent data practices. Cruise is no longer listed as a GM affiliate exempt from this privacy statement, though the scope of privacy protections for Cruise users depends on whether Cruise now operates under this statement or maintains separate privacy terms.

View change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

The agreement discloses that personal information stored in the vehicle may remain accessible to future users after sale or transfer if the current owner does not delete it; the policy encourages deletion and account transfer or cancellation but does not describe an automated deletion mechanism.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Delete Your Data
    Before selling or transferring your vehicle, follow the instructions in your owner's manual to delete personal information from the vehicle or restore factory settings. Then contact OnStar at 1-888-466-7827 or use your vehicle brand's customer assistance number to transfer or cancel your OnStar account.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Vehicle Sale and Transfer Data Persistence and similar clauses.

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
If you sell or otherwise transfer your vehicle, we strongly encourage you to delete all Personal Information (such as contacts, address searches, saved map addresses, or preferences) from the vehicle and contact us to transfer or cancel your account. If you do not delete this Personal Information, it may remain in the vehicle and may be accessible to future users of the vehicle.

Excerpt from General Motors's GM Privacy Statement

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (regulatory & governance intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The absence of an automated data deletion process upon vehicle transfer may engage state privacy law requirements regarding data security and consumer notification.

Insight

Unlock the full institutional analysis

Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.

Applicable agencies

  • Federal Trade Commission (ftc)
    Oversees unfair or deceptive business practices and can investigate companies that mislead consumers about data collection, sharing, or use.
    Who can file: Anyone affected by the company's practices (US or international)
    What you need: Your account details, a timeline of relevant events, and a description of the specific issue
    What to expect: Complaints inform FTC enforcement priorities and investigations but do not result in individual resolution or compensation
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
GM Privacy Statement
Entity
General Motors
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
July 9, 2026
Last verified
July 9, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-016057
Document ID
CA-D-00615
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
1aadaf983854ba12c04ee6971f292dd73de91df0db3ac8d30fd0ad5fcc9309da
Analysis generated
July 9, 2026 09:29 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: General Motors
Document: GM Privacy Statement
Record ID: CA-P-016057
Captured: 2026-07-09 09:29:04 UTC
SHA-256: 1aadaf983854ba12…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/general-motors/gm-privacy-statement/provision/CA-P-016057/vehicle-sale-and-transfer-data-persistence/
Accessed: Sept. 26, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does General Motors's Vehicle Sale and Transfer Data Persistence clause do?

This provision establishes that data deletion before vehicle sale or transfer is the responsibility of the current owner rather than a system-enforced process, and that failure to delete may result in personal information being accessible to subsequent vehicle users.

How does this clause affect you?

The agreement discloses that personal information stored in the vehicle may remain accessible to future users after sale or transfer if the current owner does not delete it; the policy encourages deletion and account transfer or cancellation but does not describe an automated deletion mechanism.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with General Motors?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by General Motors.