Just when you think you’re doing everything right, a new way to violate your privacy and cost you money emerges. A man in Atlanta had a spotless driving record, a credit score that was rising and he had downloaded what appeared to be a practical tool to monitor his family called the Life360 app.

The question you should ask before downloading any app is what are the inclusions with that app you don’t know about. In the case of the Life 360 app, the inclusion was his driving behavior was monitored, collected and sold to a data broker. These data brokers aggregate your behavior and create a “driving profile” insurers can buy and use that data to determine your risk level and adjust your premium accordingly.

When this Atlanta man started shopping for new car insurance he was getting similar quotes from similar insurance companies who were all pulling information from the database. Contained within the collected data was a record of his car’s automatic braking which is a safety feature the driver can’t control. A different driver reported she was flagged for erratic driving while using a mobility scooter in a grocery store.

While apps like Life360 or GasBuddy are free to download their long-term cost could be expensive. You may think you’re only sharing your location to find cheaper gas or keep your kids safe, your driving data can be repackaged and sold without your knowledge or permission!

Here is what you can do about this. The Atlanta dad deleted the app and changed how he evaluates new tools. He advises to start by looking to see if any app is tracking your location. Looking for tracking data, what they do with that data and if you can opt out or not is a good idea as well. If you can’t opt out then you may want to reconsider the value of the app. Phone apps are expensive to create and developers need to find someway to profit from them. As AI becomes a more prevalent part of everyday life, this will happen more and more. Check back for more tips and tricks to protect your driving privilege and privacy.

We represent people injured as a result of the careless and reckless acts of others.  At the end of the day your case can only be settled one time and you need to know all of the facts beforehand. Insurance companies have paid our clients hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation because we uncover the facts. When insurance companies fail to offer full compensation we are not intimidated at the prospect of going to trial. We help with serious injuries that require serious representation. We are the Law Offices of Guenard & Bozarth, LLP. Our attorneys have more than 60 years of experience specializing in only representing injured people. Call GB Legal 24/7/365 at 888-809-1075 or visit www.gblegal.com