GPS car service OnStar stops selling data upon Sen. Franken’s request

A week after Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) sent a letter to the GPS company OnStar asking that the company not track or sell customer location data, OnStar has decided to reverse course.

“While I’m pleased that OnStar reversed its policy, I still have questions about how that company and others are treating consumers’ location information,” Franken said in a statement Tuesday. “I also hope this spurs Congress to pass my location privacy bill to prevent situations like this in the future.”

Franken is the chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology & the Law.

He has authored a bill that would require companies to get consumers explicit permission before tracking them or sharing their information.

The letter sent by Franken and U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) last week said OnStar’s actions appeared to violate customers’ rights:

“We believe that OnStar’s actions underscore the urgent need for prompt congressional action to enact privacy laws that protect private, sensitive information like location.  In the meantime, we believe that it is the responsibility of corporate citizens like OnStar to take every step possible to safeguard the privacy of their customers.”