The U.S. carmaker had been harvesting drivers' data that was of particular value for insurers keen on better assessing the risk posed by policyholders.

General Motors reached an agreement to settle allegations that the automaker shared drivers’ locations and behavior data without their consent, the Federal Trade Commission said.

Through a newly proposed order, GM and OnStar will be banned from disclosing data for five years from the date the order is entered. The companies must also obtain affirmative express consent from consumers before collecting connected vehicle data, except in some cases, such as providing location data to emergency first responders.