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Allstate Patents Physiological Data Collection
TigerPlish writes: Allstate has been granted patent no. US 20140080100 A1 for a "driving-behavior database that it said might be useful for health insurers, lenders, credit-rating agencies, marketers and potential employers." The program is just in the patent stage for now, but the company says: "the invention has the potential to evaluate drivers' physiological data, including heart rate, blood pressure and electrocardiogram signals, which could be recorded from steering wheel sensors." Imagine a world where you are denied employment or credit based on the information obtained from your car and sold by your insurer. What could possibly go wrong?
what could go wronger?
and who in the right mind would buy a car with wheel sensors?
and would privacy advocates prevail to keep this from ever entering the market?
what would keep someone from just putting gloves on so it cant read the pulse on your hand?
This is just an application. Kill it before they grant it.
Fuck you Allstate and the big brother you rode in on.
a patent application publication is not a patent.
"You're in good hands with the Allstate big brother"
...driving gloves.
You can tell simply from the number that this is a patent APPLICATION and nothing has been granted as of yet.
It probably will be, since the patent office tends to grant a patent to anything that moves... or doesn't.
Based on the quoted part of the description, it doesn't sound patentable to me, but without taking the time
to read the claims, it's hard really to know.
the linked document is the publication copy, not the issued patent. the issued patent is as cited above, which issued on June 9.
on first blush the claims seem pretty limited to speed/acceleration and location/speed.
I'd bet there's a continuation in the works on this one, going for broader claims.
testing
Insurance companies SHOULD NOT be in the business of patenting anything. All they really are is a subsidiary of the financial industry. They make and contribute nothing while taking exorbitant amounts of our money.
Isn't is the same what pilots or astronauts already have? How is that different - the steering wheel part?
Imagine a world where you are denied employment or credit based on the information obtained from your car and sold by your insurer. What could possibly go wrong?
Why? you can already be denied employment for any reason in right to work states and importantly fired for any reason or not, If you believe that companies can fuck with you anytime or in anyway they want, this is a logical next step. Pretty soon they'll stick a probe up your ass to make sure your seat temperature coefficient is within spec otherwise you'll be unable to use their services, buy their product and will be labelled forever a high risk individual.
Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
Umm, they may patent it, even collect it. Good luck being able to legally sell it. (Without a crap ton of release forms.)
Well, the good news is that by the time they get this working, we'll all have self-driving cars. The bad news is that we'll all have self-driving cars.
i'm working on a tin-foil steering wheel cover, please send untraceable bitcoins.
sticker. In our state they just plug in the OBD-2 and check for faults. No need
for expensive and time-consuming gas analysis.
Do we need an extra constitutional right to the control of, and knowledge about, personally-identified data collected about us?
Good luck with that I know, given that we're all face-taggable by facebook, google, and the local police department already, not to mention the feds.
Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
Like I needed another.
"To those who are overly cautious, everything is impossible. "
The insurance industry already has a clearinghouse of information on people similar to the credit bureaus. Rates, especially for car insurance, are increasingly determined by a subset of your credit score (the "insurance score.") They already know your history with other insurance companies, which can make it very hard to find another carrier at reasonable rates if you are dropped. Also, every state's DMV has records on every reported accident and theft. So, you're tracked an awful lot when you buy insurance anyway. I don't do the whole data collection thing, simply because I know I drive in heavy traffic with aggressive drivers, and having to stop for them would negate any savings. Having good credit really does help though...insurance is cheap if you can maintain your credit.
Not that I agree with it, but Allstate is smart to take out a patent on "quantifiable self" data for 2 reasons:
- Future customers coming of age now show very little concern about privacy, or at least they prefer the convenience of "free" services and an always-on gadget in their pocket. This means that there will slowly be less resistance to it.
- Let's face it, one day soon self-driving cars will be a thing. With a computer doing the driving, the overwhelming cause of accidents now will be people who continue to manually drive. Those people will probably end up causing a lot more damage because they will get into bigger accidents.
It's only one leap from car insurance to life insurance though -- I'm not sure that will go over well. Since all insurers are basically placing a bet that you won't file a claim, or in the case of life insurance, you'll pay enough in premiums to cover the inevitable, this would really stack the deck in their favor.
Just sign this crap ton of forms.
Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
Why is no-one challenging the de facto theft of personal information? I don't care by who or how the data is recorded, it belongs to me and anyone who wants to use it needs my permission.
In some cases, such as a doctor ordering lab tests, I will give that permission gratis. In other cases, such as any of the Web page leeches, I will require payment.
It might be fun if a few tens of thousands of us start blasting out DMCA takedown notices whenever we see a tracking cookie on a Web page.
Bent, folded, spindled, and mutilated.
1) Often a patent serves as a barrier to implementation, since those who could roll it out must play ball with the patent-holders who act as if they are sitting on top of a gold mine.
2) In this case, if the tech DOES get rolled out, that will just stimulate more interest in self-driving cars, which will be a win all-around.
Steering wheel cover that simulates a calm, perfectly healthy 60 beats per minute, random good bp, low bmi, normal extremities temperature, ecg, etc...
When Allstate asks why is it that every driver seems to be the perfect picture of health, the response will be "If you stick your nose where it doesn't belong, you're gonna get what you get."
The good news is that if Allstate patents this "invention", then All State will be the only ones who can do it. I don't nor do I have to do business with Allstate. The other bad news is if they decide to license this...
Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
It will be state mandated or company mandated to obtain legal insurance.
That's a lot of big words, but all I can hear is HIPAA violation!
Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
Detected a possible crash in the next 6 seconds - your insurance has been cancelled. Have a great day.
Website Just Down For Me? Find out
My faith in human drivers is low enough that I'm eagerly awaiting autonomous cars.
The most dangerous part of traveling by car these days is the inattentive pile of rage controlling it.
I know I'd rather give up driving than have my medical data go up for sale.
-- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
"Shoppers could be facing huge amounts of junk mail which specifically targets their internet browsing habits, under plans being trialled by Royal Mail.
The firm is to deliver personalised letters to potential customers, advertising products that they have previously viewed online." ref
The new glorious world of big data and data analytics has one small problem. Just because you have a ton of data doesn't mean that there is any useful information in it. Really, what are companies going to be able to glean from such a database? That some peoples heart rate goes up when they drive? Which means what?
Insurance companies are the original big data users. Actuarial science is all based on the premise that it is possible to predict the likely outcome for an individual through the statistical analysis of the larger group. They have been doing this quite successfully/profitably since the 1700's. There is a definite point of diminishing return between increased revenue by identifying higher risk individuals and the costs associated with implementing those programs. If it costs $1 million to implement you would need to identify 10,000 people and charge them an extra $100 just to break even. If they can find a competitor whose rate is less than that $100 increase and leave then you start losing money, and not just the $100 but the original premium as well.
A lot of people are under the misconception that all they need to do is gather data and they will then be able to sell it. But the data has to be useful and I just don't see it in this case.
Average Intelligence is a Scary Thing
I'm sick of all the fees, insurances, registrations, etc. needed just to drive a fucking car. I also don't want to take it even further and have a car that's monitoring my fucking body. Jesus, let's get rid of the human factor that's creating nothing but a financial burden on those who commute.
Can we just come up with a method of transportation that relies on a (very, very, very well tested) network of systems that direct traffic and control vehicles? I don't care if it's a self driving car, a rail/conveyer system that uses the horribly ineffective carpool lanes that latches onto cars' tow clips, or a ski-lift style system suspended above roads that zip individuals around, or an "order-a-drone" program where you can fly in an (otherwise unmanned) drone and control source+destination with an app...speed trains, ....I could probably think of more. The point is, with 19 years of heavy driving experience all around California, I have come to the conclusion that a well developed, automated vehicle control + transportation system would probably yield far less (fatal or otherwise) accidents on the roadways. If we can create a network switch that allows billions of individual packets through without collisions, we can surely do the same with this.
Besides, I want my commute time to be relaxing and not have to have my brain be alert for the critical job of driving safely. Hell, I want to (legally) have a beer (or 3) on my way home and text at the same time. I want to call my wife and talk with my kids without pausing to have to honk and call 9-1-1 at some drunk moron in front of me crossing over the double yellow line, putting MY life in danger. I want to lie down and take a nap. I want wifi, too.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
Why be so negative? Someone will have to research how to distinguish road head from an intermittent medical condition.
Add that medical study to Apple's Health Kit and many a happy driver will result. Although it would be over for Android, a worthy sacrifice to advance science though.
and who in the right mind would buy a car with wheel sensors?
Anyone in a market where all cars have wheel sensors. Who would pay more for seat belts? Who would pay more for airbags? Who would buy a car that keeps the last 30sec of "telemetry" data? We've been through this already.
Not suprising....
Allstate hasn't been the same since they hired McKinsey and Co to optimize profits ahead of customer value. When Allstate was a part of Sears, they actually offered good value for the money. Now they are big into information asymettry and cherry picking as that can get them the customers who will pay list+ where there is little to no risk. I haven't done business with them for years.
can we get the same thing on the leather chairs of the CEOs?
Just in time for the self-driving car revolution!
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
"They contribute to your life by wearing the risk that you are unable or unwilling to wear yourself."
And what if I'm perfectly willing and able to "wear" risk myself, but am prevented from doing so by insurance scammers who pay the government to hold a gun to my head and force me to purchase their "product"?
"But I'd much rather deal with their crap than face financial ruin."
Buying insurance prevents you from facing financial ruin? Really?
Insurance is a racket. Only an irresponsible moron buys any kind of insurance, ever. Responsible people take responsibility for their own selves, and do not expect others to take responsibility for them.
They aren't going to be collecting any data from me... ... except in an emergency. So their baseline data for me will be huge levels of adrenaline and a heart rate close to 200. Hmm... that's probably not ideal either.
The Gattica! The car that knows you better than you do.
Looks like driving gloves will be making a comeback. Buy stock now :)
That would be an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States for Personal Privacy, but such a thing is less realistic than childhood imaginary friends (especially the ones you knew were imaginary from the get go).
I have no secrets because I can't have any...
BlameBillCosby.com
they're all snakes.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
Don't VOTE GOP or your health insurers will just look for ways to blacklist you or even wait for you to get sick and use BS like this to say it's a pre existing condition
Then some kid runs out in front of you and you lock up the brakes (you know that is going to be recorded too). The insurance company now nails you for fraud both in civil court and the state gets you in criminal court. The only winning way is to not pay. I like the bonding or self-insuring schemes out there. I wonder if a local co-op would be good.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
Never thought I'd say this, but looks like Public Transportation might be the better choice.
Be seeing you...
Don't VOTE democrat or your health insurers will just look for ways to jack up your rates AND force you to pay for their services whether you want them or not, under threat of prison or fines.
"The real question is, Why do you have that insurance company?"
Just pushing the location of the the center of the conversation. A standard technique.
At the very least, one should be able to sue (perhaps in class action) for the unauthorized sale and disclosure of such information to 3rd parties.
Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
at least the DEM will let you get on Medicaid under the GOP System you need to be on disability.
That would be an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States for Personal Privacy
Fortunately, the Founding Father anticipated this kind of thing. One thing both the Federalists and Anti-Federalists could agree on was the need for a Bill of Rights, and the dangers of an incomplete Bill of Rights. To address this, James Madison made the Bill of Rights open ended, to allow for the assertion of rights on an as-needed basis. Thus, the 9th Amendment provides for unspecified rights "retained by the people", and the 10th Amendment for unspecified rights "reserved to the people" (it's such an important point, it was made twice).
The right to personal privacy is clearly favored by the majority of non-sociopaths, and therefore is protected under the 9th Amendment. Everybody that swears oaths to uphold the Bill of Rights is required to respect this, by those oaths.
In practice, getting the legal profession to acknowledge the 9th Amendment is a little sticky. They are terrified of another right arising under the 9th Amendment, the right to ethical practice of law, a right that invalidates a lot of stuff in the federal, state, and local legal codes. Also, they don't like the idea that the unwashed masses have some say in their legal system, with authority over even the priests of the law religion.