Bought a car in the last few years? The data you generate when you drive it is likely passed to insurance companies by the automaker that sold you the car. They "knew about every trip G.M. drivers had taken in their cars, including when they sped, braked too hard or accelerated rapidly," reports Kashmir Hill with the New York Times.
Mr. Dahl, 65, was surprised in 2022 when the cost of his car insurance jumped by 21 percent. Quotes from other insurance companies were also high. One insurance agent told him his LexisNexis report was a factor.
LexisNexis is a New York-based global data broker with a "Risk Solutions" division that caters to the auto insurance industry and has traditionally kept tabs on car accidents and tickets. Upon Mr. Dahl's request, LexisNexis sent him a 258-page "consumer disclosure report," which it must provide per the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
What it contained stunned him: more than 130 pages detailing each time he or his wife had driven the Bolt over the previous six months. It included the dates of 640 trips, their start and end times, the distance driven and an accounting of any speeding, hard braking or sharp accelerations.
In 20 years driving a 30-year-old car will be a sign of wealth, maybe even impunity.
Previously: Major U.S. insurance company to sell only health-tracker backed life insurance
