An expert said the auto industry should pay attention to Texas' data privacy laws: "What Texas has done is funded it, staffed it and supported it."

Don't mess with Texas, especially if you're an insurance company violating privacy laws to raise rates. That's how the state's attorney general feels, anyway, after accusing Allstate of acquiring (and reselling) the smartphone data of millions of drivers.

Allstate ALL.N has been sued by the state of Texas, which accused the insurer on Monday of illegally tracking drivers through their cell phones without their consent and using the data to justify charging more for car insurance.