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Allstate used GasBuddy and other apps to track driving behavior: lawsuit

arstechnica.com

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Re: Allstate used GasBuddy and other apps to track driving behavior: lawsuit

#101

Post by hiatus »

aziaziazi wrote: post #90
nyrikki wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, the inference they have isn't reliable enough to predict anything except with broad groups. Swerving to avoid road debris or hard braking to avoid a deer as examples of what have cost commercial drivers jobs. Look at the CDL world for a view into this. I have 30 years of clean driving records BTW, so not trying to justify risky driving BTW

If you drive slower you’ll break smoother. I hate insurances and their hidden shenanigany-like algorithms but at the end it is a fair game I when you look at the big picture. I never owned a car but I feel deeply concerned as I use the road by foot, bike and rentals and am often scared by the drivers usage of the road. You know : texting, updating gps, driving full speed in turns without visibility, taking over as Sc…

> The speed limit is a LIMIT not a requirement. And don’t start me with "you’re dangerous driving so slow" lol.

There are many places that have minimum speed limits as well.

Re: Allstate used GasBuddy and other apps to track driving behavior: lawsuit

#102

Post by s1artibartfast »

Scoundreller wrote: post #79
orangecat wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, because the utility of money isn't linear. It often makes sense to pay a bit more than $1000 to mitigate a 1% chance of losing $100k.

If insurance pricing is perfect, they’ll charge you $100k+ if you’re going to have a $100k claim.

Underrated comment. perfect prediction turns insurance into a payment plan.

Re: Allstate used GasBuddy and other apps to track driving behavior: lawsuit

#103

Post by skeeter2020 »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #68
throw5959 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh, how? Why would someone have a vehicle with someone else's internet connected camera inside?

Why would society not mandate cameras to make sure the operators of thousands of kilograms of metal at high speeds are paying attention to the road instead of their phone? And to be able to punish them if they are not. Assuming pedestrian and children’s safety is a priority.

Did you just float "won't someone think of the children?"

Re: Allstate used GasBuddy and other apps to track driving behavior: lawsuit

#105

Post by lotsofpulp »

MrDrMcCoy wrote: post #98
lotsofpulp wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would society not mandate cameras to make sure the operators of thousands of kilograms of metal at high speeds are paying attention to the road instead of their phone? And to be able to punish them if they are not. Assuming pedestrian and children’s safety is a priority.

That can and should be done without phoning home. It's the invasion of privacy that's the issue, not the safety feature itself.

That’s true, as long as the footage is saved to a device that is not tamper-able.

Re: Allstate used GasBuddy and other apps to track driving behavior: lawsuit

#106

Post by lotsofpulp »

skeeter2020 wrote: post #103
lotsofpulp wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would society not mandate cameras to make sure the operators of thousands of kilograms of metal at high speeds are paying attention to the road instead of their phone? And to be able to punish them if they are not. Assuming pedestrian and children’s safety is a priority.

Did you just float "won't someone think of the children?"

Why wouldn’t I think of children?

Isn’t one of the most common ruminations of modern society that children cannot roam freely due to excess risk of being hurt or killed by a distracted driver?

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/these-vehicles-may-pose...

>IIHS says pedestrian crash deaths have risen 80% since hitting their low in 2009. The statistics show that 2021 was almost as deadly to people on foot as last year. Nearly 7,400 walkers — more than 20 people a day — lost their lives in 2021 after being struck by a vehicle.

Airline pilots get recorded, why shouldn’t drivers?

Re: Allstate used GasBuddy and other apps to track driving behavior: lawsuit

#107

Post by Schiendelman »

drawkward wrote: post #104

All mandatory insurance is a subsidy to private shareholders; it should not exist as is. If insurance is legally required, it should also be legally required to be non-profit and government run.

I tend to agree. But how do you avoid that experience becoming terrible? Competition between insurance companies does keep the experience good and probably keeps the price down.

Re: Allstate used GasBuddy and other apps to track driving behavior: lawsuit

#108

Post by SoftTalker »

_DeadFred_ wrote: post #39
Scoundreller wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once insurance companies can charge perfect premiums, there will be no point in buying insurance at all.

Time for a credit union version of insurance coverage.

They exist, they are called mutual insurance companies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_insurance

Re: Allstate used GasBuddy and other apps to track driving behavior: lawsuit

#109

Post by WillPostForFood »

johnbrodie wrote: post #85
rdtsc wrote: post #15

> The suit also cites Allstate as gathering direct car use data from Toyota, Lexus, Mazda, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, and Ram vehicles. Seems like the bigger part of the story is at the bottom. You can uninstall GasBuddy from your phone but finding and buying a new car that doesn't track you is a bigger hassle.

This seems to run completely contrary to Mazda's own Connected Services Privacy Policy, which states that by default (ie if you aren't paying the subscription for connected services, or never enrolled in it), they don't share info outside of Mazda, other than aggregate data for research purposes. Even the section discussing if you are an active subscriber indicates that your written consent is needed before it's shar…

There is a potential loophole:

Third-party service providers: We may share your Personal Information with third-party service providers that we contract with to provide you with the Mazda Connected Services, as detailed in this Connectivity Privacy Statement.

The Artity (allstate) SDK offers some utility like "fuel efficiency tips", but it is a cover to collect data.

Re: Allstate used GasBuddy and other apps to track driving behavior: lawsuit

#110

Post by skeeter2020 »

aziaziazi wrote: post #90
nyrikki wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, the inference they have isn't reliable enough to predict anything except with broad groups. Swerving to avoid road debris or hard braking to avoid a deer as examples of what have cost commercial drivers jobs. Look at the CDL world for a view into this. I have 30 years of clean driving records BTW, so not trying to justify risky driving BTW

If you drive slower you’ll break smoother. I hate insurances and their hidden shenanigany-like algorithms but at the end it is a fair game I when you look at the big picture. I never owned a car but I feel deeply concerned as I use the road by foot, bike and rentals and am often scared by the drivers usage of the road. You know : texting, updating gps, driving full speed in turns without visibility, taking over as Sc…

>> The speed limit is a LIMIT not a requirement. And don’t start me with "you’re dangerous driving so slow" lol.

It certainly is. Speed differential is a huge cause of serious accidents. That can be driving too fast or too slow. Many roads have minimum speeds, and as a commuting cyclist I can tell you the biggest threat is not being able to move with the general flow of traffic.

I'm also not sure how you came up with driving slower and smooth breaking being correlated, especially if you do limited driving.

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