New Usage-Based Insurance Software Can Track Drivers Using Smartphones

Lucas123 (935744) writes A new software platform released by one of the nation's largest insurance roadside services providers will allow insurers to track drivers through smartphone sensors and geolocation services in order to offer good driver incentives or emergency roadside assistance. The tracking software is similar to technology currently offered by State Farm's In-Drive and Progressive's Snapshot program, but the latter uses a hardware collection device that plugs into a vehicle's standard OBDII onboard diagnostics port. The new software platform from Agero travels with the driver in and out of the car, so that if a customer is in an accident emergency services are still contacted.

Comments

Nope!

[Anonymous Coward]

Over my dead body! George Orwell is turning in his grave!

Re:Nope!

[JosKarith]

My old employer - one of the biggest insurance firms in the UK - has been running stuff like this for years. A little app on your smartphone that analyses your driving style for minor infractions and squeals back to the company so they can produce evidence for why your premiums have shot up...
And of course to get it working they tested it on... the call center staff. Seriously, any call center staff who had company insurance had to agree to this sh1t being installed on their mobiles to qualify for the staff discount during its testing phase. And the claims of anonymisation of data for the testing were proven to be BS the day the leaderboards of "Who's the safest drivers in XXX team" started going up to shame staff members who weren't good little boys and girls.

1..2..3.. until massive security breaches

[sinij]

This is just another attack surface on my privacy and in case of OBD-II devices on my safety.

Insurances are not in business to save you money, they are also no in business of securing data or massive distributed sensor networks. Best case scenario - you will save $5/mo while your car/cellphone ends up sending out spam, worst case scenario you will die in a flaming wreck when someone in CN remotely turns your auto-parking feature while you are driving at 75mph.

Re:Interesting, if optional

[Somebody Is Using My]

It's optional today. It'll be mandatory tomorrow.

Get the consumers used to the idea of being tracked and lead them in the direction you want to go with a carrot in the form of a tiny financial incentive (make up for the lost revenue by increasing insurance rates in general so these "savings" are swallowed up by higher average costs).

Then once you have enough people subscribed to the tracking, start making the tracking a part of any plan for /new/ users (possibly with an option to stop being tracked after a few years, with a substantial rate hike of course). After all, the insurance company has no idea if you are a good driver or not so it is only in their best interest for them to gather as much information on you as they can. After all, the company is taking a big risk by offering you insurance, you understand.

Later, force tracking on any existing users who don't already have it. Stop offering any discounts for its use; if the consumer wants insurance, they better prepare to have their every move tracked.

Meanwhile, make sure to use all this collected information for the company's maximum financial benefit. Sift it for every possible marketing use. Sell it to other companies. Deny coverage because it incriminates the user without checking to see if it is actually accurate. That sort of thing.

This is the way it always works, creeping slowly ahead to the detriment of the customer. The only way to stop this sort of thing is to squash it before it gets started.