Insurance Companies and Automakers Profit by Stealing Your Data
You might have less privacy than you think in modern trucks, SUVs, and cars. By spying on your driving habits, automakers, and insurance companies can sell your data and increase your premiums. Allegedly General Motors, Jeep, Ram, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Honda, Nissan, and maybe more have your driving habits on file.
Automakers are stealing your data and selling it to insurance companies
Have you noticed that even though you have been driving your Ford truck or Chevrolet SUV safely for years, but your insurance premium has gone up?
Despite having no speeding records or accidents on record in years, prices keep increasing. That’s because automakers might be collecting your personal data to sell.
Allegedly, insurance companies are receiving updates about your speeding habits, hard braking, rapid accelerations, seat belt usage, name, address, email address, and phone number.
The information can be collected through third-party vehicle apps that are inter-enabled, or through the vehicle’s standard software systems.
Then it’s shared with data brokers like Lexis Nexis and sold to insurance companies, so they can personalize your coverage and raise your rates.
Automakers and data brokers claim to have your consent, but the policies have tricky wording and may seem unclear.
This raises concerns as your data could be tracked without you knowing due to a lack of transparency and privacy.
But why aren’t some rates going down because of perfect driving behavior? Also, is it difficult to turn the data tracking off?
According to GM-Trucks, Chevrolet vehicles collect your data if you enable OnStar Smart Driver and data sharing. Your vehicle shouldn’t ’track your data if you haven’t opted in, but reportedly some drivers found this option engaged without signing up for the service.
Also, the FordPass Connect might be collecting your data. There are steps to perform a Ford Sync 3 master reset to deactivate data collection.
You can visit Lexis Nexus to request your customer disclosure report. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, your personal data must be provided via request.
Once your request has been processed and verified, you will receive a letter in the mail with steps on how to access your report. No surprise here, but the process is time-consuming and frustrating.
At least it’s a step in the right direction so you can learn what data has been collected and how. This way you can see how your rates are being impacted.
