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

Amazon and Netflix Look to Their Own Shows As the Key to World Domination

“A lot of the time content owners might not necessarily hold all the rights to their content in different markets,” says Parks Associates analyst Glenn Hower. “International content rights are hideous...

Will Arlo Technologies' New Video Doorbell Level the Playing Field With Ring and Nest?

Arlo needs a video doorbell to help continue adding subscribers. Doorbells will ultimately pave the way for upgrades to added devices, which will lead to more subscribers. A recent Parks Associates s...

Netflix Is Killing It—Big Time—After Pouring Cash Into Original Shows

“There seemed to be an attitude around the industry that after House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, there was no way Netflix could catch lightning in a bottle again,” says Glenn Hower, a senior...

Roku Bolsters Its Strongest Business With a $150 Million Acquisition

The bears once believed Roku's hardware business would be crushed by rivals like Alphabet's Google Chromecast, Amazon's (NASDAQ:AMZN) Fire TV, and Apple TV. Yet Roku consistently remains the most popu...