Consumer Council warns: – Insurers can use training data against you – NRK

The Consumer Council today released an analysis of the terms of use for six health and Fitness Apps for smartphones. They are concerned about privacy.

– Consumer relinquishes his fundamental right to privacy, and that is completely unacceptable. They have extremely broad rights to use the data, but this is communicated poorly to the consumer, says Finn Myrstad, Director of the Consumer Council.

It is particularly resale of information that concerns the Consumer Council.

– This data will be used further in marketing and can be used against you in other contexts. We are particularly concerned that health insurance must use this information, continues Myrstad.

Helge Veum Inspectorate does not deny that there are major challenges related to information data that is collected.

– There are many good reasons to be concerned about the increasing amount of data about us is being collected. You have rights over your own information and are free to give the app access to, but the challenge is that the conditions you approve is not always readily available, he said.

– Will it not evident why apps they require permissions they do, there is a good reason to stay away from, continues Veum.

Ole Irgens Tryg insurance does not exclude that it may be appropriate to skreddersky health insurance, but he excludes that they can buy this information from third parties.

Ole Irgens Tryg insurance says it may be appropriate to tailor insurance policies, but that they can not engage in data capture of customer information.

Photo: Tryg insurance

– We can not engage in data collection to our customers. Is the dispute over an insurance settlement we relate to the Code which allow gathering information from open sources such as blogs, homepages and the like, he said.

He also refers to the concession they have personal information from the Data Inspectorate, which does not allow they gather such data Consumer Council refers. Irgens is nevertheless no stranger to that it may be necessary to tailor insurance policies based on customer activity levels in the future, but then it must be clarified clearly with consumers.

He says that for example in Sweden can now get insurance offering discounts if you go over 7500 steps a day.

– But this is then recorded through a separate app from the insurance company, tells Irgens.

Also in DNB they must relate to the concession from the data Inspectorate provides access to, but communications consultant Vidar Korsberg Dalsbø says the issue is interesting.

– it is clear that the more data you have about the customer, the more fair get insurance, but we must follow the guidelines Inspectorate gives, he concludes.

NRK has contacted the company behind MyFitnessPal with questions about their practices, but have so far not received an answer.

Note: NRK came in an earlier version of this article in damage to mention Ole Irgens as employed in If insurance. It is not correct. Ole Irgens is Communications Director of Tryg insurance.