Key Takeaways:
A federal class action lawsuit filed in Texas accuses Toyota and a telematics affiliate of unlawfully collecting and selling drivers' vehicle data to Progressive Insurance.
The suit claims Toyota shared detailed information—such as location, speed, and braking behavior—without customer consent, violating privacy laws and consumer rights.
The plaintiff discovered his driving data had been shared despite opting out of Progressive's Snapshot program, sparking broader concerns over in-vehicle data privacy.
A Florida man is suing Toyota Motor Corp. and its data affiliate, Connected Analytic Services (CAS), alleging the companies collected and shared extensive vehicle data without consent, violating privacy laws and enabling Progressive Insurance to access his driving habits.
The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in federal court in Texas, centers around Toyota’s embedded telematics systems—technology in newer vehicles that tracks location, speed, braking patterns, cornering, and more.
Plaintiff Philip Siefke purchased a Toyota RAV4 XLE in 2021, and later attempted to sign up for Progressive Insurance in January 2025. Although he declined to join Progressive’s Snapshot tracking program, he was stunned to discover the insurer already possessed detailed driving data from his vehicle, the lawsuit alleges.
"I opted out. They had my data anyway."
According to the complaint, Siefke learned from a Progressive representative that his data had been sourced from Toyota’s telematics platform—via CAS, a data aggregator affiliated with Toyota Insurance Management Solutions (TIMS).
Toyota allegedly never provided clear notice that Siefke’s data would be collected and shared. Instead, Siefke claims he was automatically enrolled in a trial data-sharing program, with no knowledge of how to opt out. Progressive later confirmed that data had been transferred from CAS, the lawsuit says.
A 2022 Toyota press release stated that driver information would be shared only at the express request of the customer. But Siefke’s experience contradicts that assurance, his attorneys argue.
Legal action seeks damages, policy changes
The lawsuit seeks damages and an injunction barring Toyota and CAS from continuing to collect or share driver data without express, informed consent. It claims class members suffered injury through:
Loss of control and value of their personal driving data
Violations of privacy rights
Increased risk of future data misuse or theft
Progressive, also named in the complaint, did not respond to media requests for comment.
Consumer advocates say the case underscores the growing concern over automotive data privacy. Modern vehicles can track vast amounts of driver behavior—but regulatory oversight has lagged, leaving questions about what carmakers and insurers are allowed to do with that information.
The outcome of the case could set a significant precedent for data rights in the connected vehicle era, potentially forcing automakers to rethink how they collect and share driver information.