Providing market intelligence for more than 35 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

The Apple TV is Falling Farther Behind as Their Competitors Prepare to Release New Devices

The current Apple TV, according to Parks Associates—a highly respected research firm—is in third place behind Roku and the Fire TV in both recent sales and number of homes with the device. The high...

ONLINE VIDEO ROUND-UP: Twitter, Facebook, Versy Make Big Moves

A recent study by Parks Associates claims that more millennials pay for online video than any other age groups. Highlights include that 23 percent of those surveyed only watch video online, and 61 per...

ONLINE VIDEO ROUND UP: Google, YouTube, Stats from Super Bowl 2017 and More

According to a new Parks Associates report, churn rates for OTT video services are 19% of U.S. broadband households, which would mean that about one in five households have cancelled an OTT service in...

Netflix Need Not Fear New Amazon Prime Spinoff Service

For those who think Amazon has the clout to steal away Netflix subscribers, the logic there isn't too easy to follow: the $9 price point for the new service simply isn't compelling enough to siphon aw...