Insurance Rates and Social Media

PinHead · 06-26-2017, 12:38 AM

With the advent of Data Collection via OnStar consumers need to realize that their insurance company uses social media to set rates and use information, "as needed."

Caveat Emptor;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nextad...b_7844070.html

The Internet is a great resource for conducting research and gathering information on almost anything. Today, with the emergence of data tracking devices and social media, this now includes information about people. While some industries have been using social media to get to know their customers, insurance companies are just starting to take notice and expand their use of social media beyond simply adding new followers or getting new likes.
Why social media?

Historically the insurance industry has operated knowing little about its customers; however, now with new technologies and the Internet, it no longer has to. By viewing customers’ social media profiles, insurance companies are able to dig a little deeper into their habits. Having accurate information about customers will allow companies to adjust premiums to better reflect each individual customer’s lifestyle and potentially save both parties money. While some consumers may see the benefits in the form of lower premiums, others may be a little uneasy to know that their insurance company is checking up on their social media accounts.
How are insurance companies using social media?

Usage of social media has not been standardized within the insurance industry yet, thus it is something that’s highly variable between companies. That said, it seems that social media is a boon to underwriters and claims adjusters who create individual policies and evaluate claims. In the past, the only information they had was either self-disclosed or generalized, which made identifying fraudulent claims far more difficult. In fact, the incentive to use social media in this manner began in part to combat insurance fraud. As such, insurance companies are more likely to snoop around on your profiles if they suspect something may be off. If information regarding a reported incident can be found online, the insurance company can properly use that information to deduce causation and the extent of the damages. Until recently, this was mostly the extent of social media usage by insurance companies, but some insurance companies are now seeking to use data on a much larger scale in ways that more directly affect premiums.

Because of differences among companies, there’s no absolute certainty as to how your social media information is being used. As early as 2012, some companies have admitted to data mining social media for purposes outside of claim investigations. That said, the number of companies who data mine, and the exact manner in which the data is used is ambiguous as nothing currently requires this information to be disclosed.
Beyond simply looking at social media, some companies are starting “opt-in” programs that reward customers with lower premiums for sharing relevant personal data, as reported by The New York Times. For example, an auto insurer would request GPS data to see how far its customer drives, while a health insurer would request Fitbit or other fitness app data with the goal of adjusting premiums in real time based on daily activity. As of now these opt-in programs have no penalties, meaning your rates won’t surge if companies evaluate you poorly; you’ll simply be rewarded for good behaviors in the form of reduced premiums. For example, someone whose Fitbit data indicates that they workout multiple times a week would be given slight premium reductions, whereas someone who doesn’t would experience no change in their premium.
While opting to share your data might not have any apparent downsides, it presumably comes at the cost of your privacy. Companies have yet to disclose how the data is used, where it is stored and who “owns” the data. If data isn’t properly encrypted, this might be an additional means for hackers and identity thieves to get your information.
What you should do to protect your privacy?

Since social media acts as a window into your life, it is an extremely appealing way for companies, employers and even law enforcement to learn more about you. As such, online etiquette should not be thought as distinct from real world etiquette. This was true in the initial days of social media, and it is especially true today. Here are some ways you can protect your information from the potentially preying eyes of an insurance company:

1. Don’t overshare. Similar to how you can protect your information on social media in general, try to limit the amount of personal information you share on social media. This is especially true if you’re filing an insurance claim, as you’ll want to make sure not to post anything in relation to the incident. Although it’s tempting to tweet about your frustration about a rear end collision or post pictures or even a vague status about how you feel, it’s not clear if or how exactly this information might be used. While you think you’re just sharing a photo with your Facebook friends or Twitter followers, in actuality this post could be shared with your insurance company.

It’s possible that now or in the future certain types of lifestyle information reflected in interests, posts or pictures may be used to affect premiums. Similar to how earlier social media mistakes involved employers misjudging employees, it’s likely the same dynamic could exist with insurance companies. Keep in mind that pictures and interests listed on your social media accounts are oftentimes the closest thing to a full impression that a company will get of you.

2. Be upfront with your insurance company. There are reported cases in which undisclosed information found during an adjuster’s investigation on social media (pictures, friends and posts) was seen as deliberately withholding information and treated as fraud. For example in 2011, four women involved in an accident denied knowing one another but were identified as friends via their Facebook friends list. While this incident was most likely a deliberate attempt at fraud, it still highlights the point that all information should be shared with your insurance company. If your social media profiles identify certain individuals as your spouse or kids, make sure those are the names of your listed spouse and kids on any insurance policies.

3. Turn off geolocation. Be aware of features like geolocation, which specifically disclose your geographic location unless prompted otherwise. Geolocation is used on almost all social media sites — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more — and can be used to determine your exact location at the time of an incident or to get a sense of places you may frequent. While it’s fun to let your friends know you are a regular at the local coffee shop, it may not be something you want your insurance company knowing. Luckily, geolocation can easily be turned off by visiting the settings section of the social media site or clicking on the location icon before making a post.

4. Check your privacy settings. Even with the highest privacy settings on social media, you’re still susceptible to some degree of data mining, as different tools collect information in different ways — some of which can access your profile content through friends or friends of friends. Still, make sure to check your privacy settings often, especially after a major site change. As you look through your settings, verify that everything is set so that only your friends or followers can see your posts and photos.

5. Know what you’re tagged in. With the ability to tag friends, unfortunately only changing your privacy settings isn’t enough. That’s why you also want to make sure to monitor not only your own posts, but posts from friend and even friends of friends. If you’re uncomfortable with the photo or post you’re tagged in, remove it, as it’s possible it could be used against you in the future.

Understanding how your information is used by major companies is one of the first steps to learning how to protect your privacy. Find out more ways to protect your privacy by visiting our identity theft protection blog.
This blog post originally appeared on NextAdvisor.com.

fastball · 06-26-2017, 01:07 AM

The only social media I use is Facebook. And I have my security settings set so you see nothing on my page if you're not my friend.

I've also removed my OnStar transceiver circuit board, so my car is not on the map anywhere.

fxdxron1 · 06-26-2017, 08:38 AM

Can you tell us how you removed your Onstar circuit board ?

Spartan268 · 06-26-2017, 10:02 AM

Someone locally got roasted on this before. She took her BRZ in for repairs and they refused it cause they found on her social media she was beating it on the track. They used that same evidence to deny her.

Link: http://jalopnik.com/subaru-dealer-ho...ing-1795828438

Rooster OG · 06-26-2017, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fxdxron1

Can you tell us how you removed your Onstar circuit board ?

A search shows a couple of threads on it. I found this one but have no idea if it works or not.

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/showth...=Remove+onstar

Mr. Meh · 06-26-2017, 11:25 AM

All you really need is Step 1).

Stop oversharing the minutiae of your life and you'll see a lot of problems go away.

Though, as a technologist, I really wish more understood 3, 4 and 5, along with 1.

samsumon · 06-26-2017, 11:46 AM

unless its a camaro - which is allowed on the track. People do share too much on social media.

fastball · 06-26-2017, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fxdxron1

Can you tell us how you removed your Onstar circuit board ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rooster OG

A search shows a couple of threads on it. I found this one but have no idea if it works or not.

http://www.camaro6.com/forums/showth...=Remove+onstar

Yes this is the thread I used and it works. The simple mod is to remove the onstar fuse but by doing that you lose your bluetooth and microphone. Removing the transceiver board lets you retain full bluetooth and microphone.

cellsafemode · 06-26-2017, 03:40 PM

the hardest part is reaching the onstar unit. I'm tall, I had to get in upside down with my
back and head on the floor where your feet go. Fun time. Not very hard but they tried making it inconvenient.

This still allows onstar to data log whatever it data logs locally. It just can't phone home.

I have no real opinion about data logging to reduce insurance/warranty fraud, reducing fraud helps everyone. I just dont trust onstar/gm/bosche to secure access to the car from the internet as they have not given me any reason to, while giving plenty on why you shouldn't. Hence the guide.

It's your car, your info. Take control however you see fit. Just keep in mind, these things only record evidence of what you are doing, not what's going on around you or in other cars. So it's much more common that it'll be used against you rather than for you if you ever need it legally.

edit: just wait until self driving cars start spreading out from their beta-testing cities. Which will happen within the next 10 years almost guaranteed. If you think insurance companies are greedy profit-hungry corps now, wait until you have to check off the box that you'll be self-driving your vehicle. It's coming. Can't stop progress and too many people suck at driving for this not to be a certain evolution of cars.

fastball · 06-26-2017, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cellsafemode

the hardest part is reaching the onstar unit. I'm tall, I had to get in upside down with my
back and head on the floor where your feet go. Fun time. Not very hard but they tried making it inconvenient

I didn't think it was too bad. Of course I've been installing car stereos and alarms on the side for 20 years so I've gotten pretty good at working upside down and backwards lol

enzia35 · 06-26-2017, 06:33 PM

The dealer ended up bending over for her. All good. Ended up sponsoring some of her track stuff too.

PinHead · 06-26-2017, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Meh

All you really need is Step 1).

Stop oversharing the minutiae of your life and you'll see a lot of problems go away.

Though, as a technologist, I really wish more understood 3, 4 and 5, along with 1.

+1

I also have a problem with the lack of overt education by the Seller and lack of notice given on what, when, where, how and how long regarding the OnStar Data Collection AND THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T ALLOW YOU TO EASILY OPT OUT OR DELETE ONSTAR.

Having to remove an OnStar Transceiver to Op-Out IS NOT an easy option and we shouldn't have to resort to such things.

I also wonder how much $$$ OnStar/Gm is making selling this data and who's buying or accessing the data??

fastball · 06-26-2017, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinHead

+1

I also have a problem with the lack of overt education by the Seller and lack of notice given on what, when, where, how and how long regarding the OnStar Data Collection AND THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T ALLOW YOU TO EASILY OPT OUT OR DELETE ONSTAR.

Having to remove an OnStar Transceiver to Op-Out IS NOT an easy option and we shouldn't have to resort to such things.

I also wonder how much $$$ OnStar/Gm is making selling this data and who's buying or accessing the data??

My position is that OnStar should be completely optional. First and foremost, we all have smartphones now. Who seriously thinks paying for OnStar is worth it? Outside of instant crash notification and theft recovery, neither of which concern me, there's NOTHING OnStar offers that my iPhone 6 Plus can't do.

Second, it adds electronic complexity to cars.

And last of course is the ease at which GM and their partner companies can acquire your information.

The best part is when someone puts the moves on the SS at the track and it generates such g-forces OnStar calls thinking the car was in an accident. My response would be "shut the f up I'm having a good lap!"

06-26-2017, 12:38 AM	#1
PinHead Banned Drives: Duramax Join Date: May 2017 Location: West of the Continential Divide Posts: 878	Insurance Rates and Social Media With the advent of Data Collection via OnStar consumers need to realize that their insurance company uses social media to set rates and use information, "as needed." Caveat Emptor; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nextad...b_7844070.html The Internet is a great resource for conducting research and gathering information on almost anything. Today, with the emergence of data tracking devices and social media, this now includes information about people. While some industries have been using social media to get to know their customers, insurance companies are just starting to take notice and expand their use of social media beyond simply adding new followers or getting new likes. Why social media? Historically the insurance industry has operated knowing little about its customers; however, now with new technologies and the Internet, it no longer has to. By viewing customers’ social media profiles, insurance companies are able to dig a little deeper into their habits. Having accurate information about customers will allow companies to adjust premiums to better reflect each individual customer’s lifestyle and potentially save both parties money. While some consumers may see the benefits in the form of lower premiums, others may be a little uneasy to know that their insurance company is checking up on their social media accounts. How are insurance companies using social media? Usage of social media has not been standardized within the insurance industry yet, thus it is something that’s highly variable between companies. That said, it seems that social media is a boon to underwriters and claims adjusters who create individual policies and evaluate claims. In the past, the only information they had was either self-disclosed or generalized, which made identifying fraudulent claims far more difficult. In fact, the incentive to use social media in this manner began in part to combat insurance fraud. As such, insurance companies are more likely to snoop around on your profiles if they suspect something may be off. If information regarding a reported incident can be found online, the insurance company can properly use that information to deduce causation and the extent of the damages. Until recently, this was mostly the extent of social media usage by insurance companies, but some insurance companies are now seeking to use data on a much larger scale in ways that more directly affect premiums. Because of differences among companies, there’s no absolute certainty as to how your social media information is being used. As early as 2012, some companies have admitted to data mining social media for purposes outside of claim investigations. That said, the number of companies who data mine, and the exact manner in which the data is used is ambiguous as nothing currently requires this information to be disclosed. Beyond simply looking at social media, some companies are starting “opt-in” programs that reward customers with lower premiums for sharing relevant personal data, as reported by The New York Times. For example, an auto insurer would request GPS data to see how far its customer drives, while a health insurer would request Fitbit or other fitness app data with the goal of adjusting premiums in real time based on daily activity. As of now these opt-in programs have no penalties, meaning your rates won’t surge if companies evaluate you poorly; you’ll simply be rewarded for good behaviors in the form of reduced premiums. For example, someone whose Fitbit data indicates that they workout multiple times a week would be given slight premium reductions, whereas someone who doesn’t would experience no change in their premium. While opting to share your data might not have any apparent downsides, it presumably comes at the cost of your privacy. Companies have yet to disclose how the data is used, where it is stored and who “owns” the data. If data isn’t properly encrypted, this might be an additional means for hackers and identity thieves to get your information. What you should do to protect your privacy? Since social media acts as a window into your life, it is an extremely appealing way for companies, employers and even law enforcement to learn more about you. As such, online etiquette should not be thought as distinct from real world etiquette. This was true in the initial days of social media, and it is especially true today. Here are some ways you can protect your information from the potentially preying eyes of an insurance company: 1. Don’t overshare. Similar to how you can protect your information on social media in general, try to limit the amount of personal information you share on social media. This is especially true if you’re filing an insurance claim, as you’ll want to make sure not to post anything in relation to the incident. Although it’s tempting to tweet about your frustration about a rear end collision or post pictures or even a vague status about how you feel, it’s not clear if or how exactly this information might be used. While you think you’re just sharing a photo with your Facebook friends or Twitter followers, in actuality this post could be shared with your insurance company. It’s possible that now or in the future certain types of lifestyle information reflected in interests, posts or pictures may be used to affect premiums. Similar to how earlier social media mistakes involved employers misjudging employees, it’s likely the same dynamic could exist with insurance companies. Keep in mind that pictures and interests listed on your social media accounts are oftentimes the closest thing to a full impression that a company will get of you. 2. Be upfront with your insurance company. There are reported cases in which undisclosed information found during an adjuster’s investigation on social media (pictures, friends and posts) was seen as deliberately withholding information and treated as fraud. For example in 2011, four women involved in an accident denied knowing one another but were identified as friends via their Facebook friends list. While this incident was most likely a deliberate attempt at fraud, it still highlights the point that all information should be shared with your insurance company. If your social media profiles identify certain individuals as your spouse or kids, make sure those are the names of your listed spouse and kids on any insurance policies. 3. Turn off geolocation. Be aware of features like geolocation, which specifically disclose your geographic location unless prompted otherwise. Geolocation is used on almost all social media sites — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more — and can be used to determine your exact location at the time of an incident or to get a sense of places you may frequent. While it’s fun to let your friends know you are a regular at the local coffee shop, it may not be something you want your insurance company knowing. Luckily, geolocation can easily be turned off by visiting the settings section of the social media site or clicking on the location icon before making a post. 4. Check your privacy settings. Even with the highest privacy settings on social media, you’re still susceptible to some degree of data mining, as different tools collect information in different ways — some of which can access your profile content through friends or friends of friends. Still, make sure to check your privacy settings often, especially after a major site change. As you look through your settings, verify that everything is set so that only your friends or followers can see your posts and photos. 5. Know what you’re tagged in. With the ability to tag friends, unfortunately only changing your privacy settings isn’t enough. That’s why you also want to make sure to monitor not only your own posts, but posts from friend and even friends of friends. If you’re uncomfortable with the photo or post you’re tagged in, remove it, as it’s possible it could be used against you in the future. Understanding how your information is used by major companies is one of the first steps to learning how to protect your privacy. Find out more ways to protect your privacy by visiting our identity theft protection blog. This blog post originally appeared on NextAdvisor.com.

06-26-2017, 08:38 AM	#3
fxdxron1 Drives: 2016 Camaro 1SS Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Sacramento California Posts: 102	Onstar Can you tell us how you removed your Onstar circuit board ?

06-26-2017, 11:25 AM	#6
Mr. Meh Drives: Sold Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Somewhere Posts: 775	All you really need is Step 1). Stop oversharing the minutiae of your life and you'll see a lot of problems go away. Though, as a technologist, I really wish more understood 3, 4 and 5, along with 1. Last edited by Mr. Meh; 06-26-2017 at 11:47 AM.

06-26-2017, 06:33 PM	#11
enzia35 Drives: '16 Garnet Red 1SS Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: College Station, TX Posts: 3,450	The dealer ended up bending over for her. All good. Ended up sponsoring some of her track stuff too. __________________ '16 Camaro 1SS '18 Miata GT Gone: '01 Camaro, '14 Camaro, '90 Miata

06-26-2017, 01:07 AM	#2
fastball Banned Drives: 2017 Camaro 2SS 6MT Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 4,372	The only social media I use is Facebook. And I have my security settings set so you see nothing on my page if you're not my friend. I've also removed my OnStar transceiver circuit board, so my car is not on the map anywhere.

06-26-2017, 10:02 AM	#4
Spartan268 Drives: HB 2SS Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 518	Someone locally got roasted on this before. She took her BRZ in for repairs and they refused it cause they found on her social media she was beating it on the track. They used that same evidence to deny her. Link: http://jalopnik.com/subaru-dealer-ho...ing-1795828438

06-26-2017, 11:46 AM	#7
samsumon Drives: 4 wheels Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Earth Posts: 1,351	unless its a camaro - which is allowed on the track. People do share too much on social media.

06-26-2017, 03:40 PM	#9
cellsafemode Drives: 2016 Camaro 1LT Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: California Posts: 3,491	the hardest part is reaching the onstar unit. I'm tall, I had to get in upside down with my back and head on the floor where your feet go. Fun time. Not very hard but they tried making it inconvenient. This still allows onstar to data log whatever it data logs locally. It just can't phone home. I have no real opinion about data logging to reduce insurance/warranty fraud, reducing fraud helps everyone. I just dont trust onstar/gm/bosche to secure access to the car from the internet as they have not given me any reason to, while giving plenty on why you shouldn't. Hence the guide. It's your car, your info. Take control however you see fit. Just keep in mind, these things only record evidence of what you are doing, not what's going on around you or in other cars. So it's much more common that it'll be used against you rather than for you if you ever need it legally. edit: just wait until self driving cars start spreading out from their beta-testing cities. Which will happen within the next 10 years almost guaranteed. If you think insurance companies are greedy profit-hungry corps now, wait until you have to check off the box that you'll be self-driving your vehicle. It's coming. Can't stop progress and too many people suck at driving for this not to be a certain evolution of cars.

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