Ford, GM, Others’ Infotainment Appeal Rests on Owners’ Injury

Owners of Ford, GM, Toyota, and Volkswagen vehicles told a Ninth Circuit panel Tuesday that they sufficiently alleged facts and injuries to move forward their lawsuits alleging the car manufacturers’ infotainment system violated state privacy law.

The judges’ questions, during oral argument, centered on whether the manufacturers actually used the information recorded in the vehicles and whether the owners really suffered an actual injury, with one judge comparing the owners’ position with a bad credit report that is never used against an individual, meaning that it may be bad but leaves the harm question opened.

The owners sued the car ...