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.
Parks Associates’ new research report has unveiled a promising outlook for the smart home market, projecting an annual revenue of $12.6 billion in 2027 for core smart home product categories. The Inte...
By 2027, revenue from sports streaming services overall is expected to reach 22.6 billion, according to data from Parks Associates. Purchasing sports media rights is becoming a leading acquisition...
According to research from Parks Associates, 50% of all security system sales in the past year were DIY solutions and if consumer interests hold, DIY solutions will represent the majority of the marke...
In 2000, only half the U.S. population was accessing info through the internet; today, estimates are 95% to 98% of the 131.2 million U.S. households do. Parks Associates recently reported that one...
