Lawsuit claims Allstate unlawfully collected and used driver data
Allstate sued over driver data harvesting
A new lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general against Allstate claims that apps tracking our movements are raising our insurance premiums. The FOX 5 I-Team’s Dana Fowle takes a look at the lawsuit and how your data may be being used.
A new lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claims Allstate insurance and its data-collecting subsidiary Arity collect and sell driver information that can lead to higher car insurance premiums.
Captured data
The backstory:
The suit specifically claims that apps like Life360, GasBuddy, and Fuel Rewards do more than keep track of the kids, watch out for lower gas prices, or collect fuel points.
The attorney general says the car insurance company maintained the "world’s largest driving behavior database."
The Arity software integrated into these apps could track a driver's location, acceleration, speed, and braking. The lawsuit also claims the data collected in real time could report texting and driving patterns.
Opt out
What's next:
As a rule, go to the app's Settings mode. In the case of Life360, go down to Privacy & Security, Your Privacy Choice, then toggle off the right to send your info to a third-party data collector.
Allstate Corporation response
What they're saying:
"Arity helps consumers get the most accurate auto insurance price after they consent in a simple and transparent way that fully complies with all laws and regulations."
The Source: The 46-page lawsuit is available online. Allstate Corporation responded to our email request for a comment. This story was reported on from Atlanta.