It's hard for me to understand how a phone's motion sensor is an appropriate tool for measuring someone's driving habits. How is it legal to implement something so logically half-baked? This app tracks your private life and then your Insurance company can charge you more money based on whatever proxy metrics they've contrived of, based on whatever your phone's motion sensor/GPS picks up?
I just got an email from Intact offering me savings via this application, and I was honestly gobsmacked. I understand it is for you to opt in to the app, but in my opinion it's an abuse of the consumer to dangle savings in front of their faces when you build in the option to actually charge them more money for data that isn't even appropriate for what's being measured.
A baffling regulatory failure IMO. Would love to hear from people who have tried it. It DOES seem like something that could be easily gamed for the savings (if you have an old phone, just sign in on that and leave it at home 24/7? I don't know), but I just can't imagine apps like this will be legal for very long.
Intact MyDrive and similar phone apps: how is it that apps like this are legal?
byu/kpedey inInsurance
Posted by kpedey
2 Comments
If you don’t want to use the app then don’t use the app. Problem solved.
At the end of the day they’re offering for you to knowingly give up your privacy for a potential discount. As long as it’s not being done without your knowledge or consent, there is not anything illegal about it. The savings really are coming from them being able to sell your data more than what your driving habits are in reality.
“Oh lock, John Smith regularly drives to these businesses – who wants to buy this info?”