The gigantic amount of health data obtained by Apple since the launch of its Apple Watch could soon find a very controversial use.
It was a group of analysts who study the uses of new technologies that announced it: Apple would be working on the creation of health insurance based on all the health data collected on you. By thus putting its foot in the door, the Cupertino company is paving the way for a more unbridled use of health data, hitherto the most protected by law (and by ethics).
Apple protects your data…but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t use it
Tim Cook’s company is known for managing its users’ data with seriousness and security, a particularly visible strength in comparison with other members of GAFAM or smartphone manufacturers. But if data leaks are much rarer there than, randomly, at Facebook, this does not mean that this data is not used. According to the brand, as always in this case, they serve to offer a more personalized experience to its users.
But the health data, in particular collected by the Apple Watch, has so far been in the blind spot and was mainly used by the users themselves, in particular to be able to monitor their sports performance. It now seems that Apple, which earns more and more income from its services every year, has figured out how to use them. And that could turn out to be very lucrative.
A VERY controversial decision
Analysts from CCS Insight have thus announced that the year 2024 should see the appearance on the American market of health insurance stamped with the logo of the apple brand. The latter, which has not communicated on the subject, could benefit from a huge advantage over the competition in this very little regulated market in the United States: health data.
Concretely, by having a precise overview of the health of its potential customers even before they ask to take out such insurance, Apple and the insurance organization with which it would associate could offer a personalized and tailor-made work to each. This means above all that people in fragile health or who already have worries could have to pay more for their insurance than the healthy ones. For people in poor health, it is therefore a double penalty.
This commercial and assumed use of the most critical and intimate data could above all pave the way and give ideas to other companies. However, it remains to be seen whether this offer will go beyond the borders of the United States, since in 2022 it is the only industrialized country not to have social security for its inhabitants.
Source : InsurTechInsight
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