Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

Survey: Consumers Prefer Keeping Wearable Device Data from Insurers

According to research firm Parks Associates, the majority of those surveyed indicated that they are not willing to share data collected from wearable devices, even if it meant receiving a discount on their health insurance premiums. In spite of this reluctance, these same consumers were willing to share data for the purpose of troubleshooting the devices themselves.

The results of the survey varied significantly by device. Forty-two percent of digital pedometer owners were willing to share data in order to receive a health insurance discount; for smartwatch owners the total was 35 percent; and for sleep-quality monitor owners it was 26 percent. Nevertheless, a solid majority of device owners was not willing to share data.

Consumers are justified in their concerns about health data privacy. The Los Angeles Times told in July of a security breach in October 2014 where hackers compromised UCLA Health Systems’ computer network, putting 4.5 million patients’ sensitive data at risk. What was troubling about the incident was that it took nearly seven months from the time suspicious activity was discovered in October, to May 5, which is when investigators determined the system was hacked. Additionally troubling was that the data was not even encrypted.

From the article "Survey: Consumers Prefer Keeping Wearable Device Data from Insurers" by Christopher Mohr.

Previously In The News

Parks Associates forecasts $190.7 billion in U.S. subscription video revenue by 2030

Total U.S. subscription TV and video revenue is projected to grow from $186.5 billion in 2025 to $190.7 billion in 2030, according to a new forecast released by Parks Associates on Dec. 16. The...

Alexa+ Hits the Web: Amazon’s AI Butler Goes Browser-Native

The web rollout caps hardware refreshes like Echo Show 21 and Fire TV Omni QLED, addressing Parks Associates data showing 70% of U.S. smart speaker owners limit use to timers. From the article, "Al...

Competitive Info: Even Ad-Supported Streaming Tiers Are Costing More.

About 45% of U.S. households watched free ad-supported streaming TV in Q1 2025, up from 42% during the same period a year earlier, according to an October 2025 report from Parks Associates. From th...

Amazon Puts Conversational AI Into Ring Doorbells

According to Parks Associates, 19% of U.S. internet households owned a video doorbell by 2023 — which represents a large installed base that’s in the market for software-driven updates. From the ar...