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

Netflix and Amazon Subscribers Stick Around the Longest, While This Service Has the Least Loyal Customers

Netflix and Amazon, two of the oldest streaming services around, have subscribers that are willing to stick around the longest, with an average duration of more than four years, according to a stu...

Will Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ Be the Only Streamers Left Standing in 10 Years?

New data from Parks Associates shows Netflix and Prime Video users have the greatest subscription loyalty of any streamers. New data released by Parks Associates shows that Netflix and Prime Video...

Parks: Netflix, Prime Video Have the Longest-Running Subscribers at More Than Four Years

Despite the ongoing challenges of subscriber churn affecting all streaming video platforms, industry pioneers Netflix and Prime Video have the most loyal subs — averaging more than four years with...

The Smart Money: Residential Trends and Consumer Insights

Parks Associates's latest research shows 31% of U.S. households have a home security system and about 10% of all U.S. households have DIY-installed systems. These statistics, based on research conduc...