SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A class action complaint has been filed in California federal court against automakers Hyundai and Kia, and data broker Verisk Analytics, regarding the unauthorized collection and sale of driver data to auto insurance companies. This action echoes a pair of cases filed in April 2024 by Keller Rohrback against Defendants General Motors, Verisk, and others. Those cases have been consolidated, with other cases against General Motors and the data brokers with which GM allegedly shares driver data, into multidistrict litigation now proceeding in the Northern District of Georgia.
At issue is Hyundai’s and Kia’s practice of acquiring data about drivers with its Bluelink software. Bluelink, like GM’s OnStar product, is marketed to car buyers for its features like locating, starting, and locking the vehicle remotely, performing vehicle diagnostics, connecting roadside assistance, and aiding in recovering stolen cars. But it also collects vast amounts of driving data, often allegedly without the knowledge or consent of owners. Hyundai and/or Kia routinely passed this trove of information on to data broker Verisk. This data is then marketed to insurance companies, who allegedly use it to justify insurance premium increases. Hyundai and Kia do not advertise that they sell the data to the insurance industry.
Mark Will v. Hyundai Motor Company; Hyundai Motor America; Kia Corporation; Kia America, Inc.; and Verisk Analytics, Inc. [24-cv-01653] was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
About Keller Rohrback L.L.P.
Keller Rohrback has a long track record of success in data privacy litigation, including serving in leadership roles in the Facebook privacy case, T-Mobile Data Breach case, Blackbaud Data Breach case, as well as the Sony Pictures, 21st Century Oncology, and Experian data breach cases. The firm pairs this expertise with its history of holding automakers accountable on behalf of the consumers who purchase, lease, and drive their vehicles, including in the landmark Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” and FCA “EcoDiesel” litigation.
Keller Rohrback, with offices in New York, Seattle, Phoenix, Oakland, Missoula, Portland, Denver, and Santa Barbara, serves as lead and co-lead counsel in class actions throughout the country. Our Complex Litigation Group is proud to offer its services to clients nationwide, and our trial lawyers have obtained judgments and settlements on behalf of clients in excess of $88 billion.
