Shocking list of apps secretly tracking drivers and accumulating ‘driving scores’ – insurers even buy the data

AUTOMAKERS that equip modern cars with internet connectivity are collecting data about how you drive – it could make insurance cheaper.

However, others argue that data availability is an invasion of privacy.

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If you drive a car that can connect to the internet, some apps track data about your driving habits and send it back to the manufacturer, reported the New York Times.

Habits such as how often the brakes are applied, the average speed, how often someone looks at their phone or how late you tend to drive are recorded by your car or through some apps on your phone.

While some find it scary to think that data is being collected without their prior knowledge, some experts say that data showing safe driving habits can lead to fairer insurance premiums.

Most insurance premiums are based on a few relatively unfair factors, such as marital status, highest level of education, or even credit score.

Sometimes it is determined by the type of car being driven.

Some argue that premiums based on driving habits could level the playing field.

However, many drivers felt extremely uncomfortable at the prospect that data collected about their driving habits would constitute a direct violation of privacy.

Rob Leathern, a Texan, told the outlet he was shocked when he received an email about “huge savings” on Progressive auto insurance based on the data sent to the company for his new Toyota.

After several calls and emails with the manufacturer, Leathern discovered that a data broker affiliated with the automaker had a file with second-by-second records of every time he drove faster than 85 mph.

It also indicated how many times he hit the brakes or “quickly” accelerated.

Kathleen Lomax, a New Jersey driver and mother, quickly canceled her Life360 subscription after discovering that the family tracking app on her smartphone was collecting data about her driving habits.

“No one who realizes what they are doing would consent,” she said.

General Motors previously made headlines with the vehicle after it was discovered that the company was selling OnStar driving data to LexisNexis, which stopped shortly after the expose was published.

Omri Ben-Shahar, a law professor at the University of Chicago, said insurance premiums based on driving habits and average miles driven per month — also known as usage-based insurance — could make American roads safer.

With usage-based insurance, drivers consent to being monitored behind the wheel via a device connected to the vehicle’s onboard computer.

What applications were found to send data?

Some automakers automatically report data to various data brokers, but there are some apps that can disable reporting.

Apps that report data on driving habits to data brokers are:

1. Vida360
2. My Radar
3. GasBuddy

Manufacturers reporting data are:

1. Subaru
2. Kia
3. Hyundai
4. Mitsubishi
5. Toyota
6. Ford
7. The cure

Source: New York Times

Ben-Sharhar said drivers who know they are saving money by driving safer tend to be safer drivers.

“People drive differently,” he said.

“The impact on security is enormous.”

However, many drivers are unaware that their data is being tracked, thanks to things like “stealth registration,” where drivers click buttons similar to accepting cookies to return to the original page.

Some apps will automatically turn it on without asking for consent to track data, which people can turn off when they discover their data is being tracked.

He said stealth enrollment practices have no public benefit if people don’t realize their habits can change how they’re being billed for insurance.