Did your insurance premium skyrocket? You may be surprised at the culprit.
August 18, 2024
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Carmakers are collecting and selling data to insurance companies
One driver's insurance premiums increased by 21% in 2022, even though he had never caused an accident.
LexisNexis Risk Solutions had compiled a 258-page report on the driver that listed each time he or his wife had driven their vehicle over the previous six months and the report was provided to his insurance company.
Many drivers don’t realize that by activating the “safe driver” features the car manufacturer will share their information with data brokers – who then sell the information to insurers. Because the consent to sell this information is buried in fine print, many drivers have no idea they “consented” to the selling of their information.
According to the Times, the profiles compiled by LexisNexis were found to contain detailed data on all trips made by the insured drivers, including start and end times, duration, distance, and all instances of hard acceleration and braking. This data was used to increase insurance premiums. If you drive faster and brake harder than your fellow drivers, you’ll pay more for your coverage, even if you don’t have any accidents.
Data collected by car companies is not secure
Researchers at the Mozilla Foundation deemed cars the worst product category they had ever reviewed in terms of data privacy and information security. 84% of the companies either sell or share data and half of the companies share private information with governmental officials upon request, no warrant required.
Car companies do not keep the data they collect very secure, either. Seventeen of the 25 brands Mozilla looked at had a “bad track record” in the past three years for “leaks, hacks and breaches that threatened their drivers’ privacy.”
Furthermore, the companies create inferences about customers based on the data collected, including characteristics based on the locations you visit, podcasts you listen to, your job and other shared information.
How can you keep your data from being collected and sold?
According to Cars.com
and Mozilla, in order to protect your data, you should:
- Read the fine print at the dealership.
- Look for words like "sell" and "share" and pay attention to who your data is being sold to and shared with.
- If the salesperson is entering a lot of information into their computer system, ask to see it.
- Don’t let the salesperson walk you through the technology on your new car. Salespeople get commission for signing up customers for connected services and getting you to opt into extra data-sharing systems.
- Once you take delivery of the car, review the car settings and the settings on connected mobile apps to opt out of sharing your data.
- “Look for settings like "Data Privacy" or "Data Usage." Opt-out of sharing any data with third-parties. But be careful not to opt out of features you want.
- Watch for features such as “Smart Driver" or “Driving Score.” Check on the car’s infotainment menu and connected phone apps to see what is being collected and shared.
- The Mozilla Foundation suggests not using your car’s mobile app, or at least limiting the information it can access on your phone. You can also avoid connecting your phone to your car to stop sharing sensitive data like contacts or texts.
- Unfortunately, with new models, there aren’t a lot of ways to minimize data collection. Some models even require the use of an app.
- You can request a copy of your own Consumer Disclosure Report from LexisNexis for free, which lets you know what kind of data is being shared without your knowledge.
- Privacy4Cars built a useful tool to help consumers learn what kinds of data car companies collect, how that information is collected, and what policies the company has when it comes to privacy and data security. The tool offers advice on how to disable the features, apps and services that share more data than you prefer. It also has a form to request an opt-out from sharing personal data with third parties.
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