U.S. Consumers Value Data Privacy Over Savings in Home, Auto Insurance: Policygenius

Despite inflation and rising costs, most Americans would rather pay more for insurance coverage than use data-monitoring devices, according to an annual survey from Policygenius.

The survey found that 68% of U.S. consumers said they would not install an app that collects driving behavior or location data for any insurance discount amount, up from 58% in 2021. Of those willing to download a data-collecting app, 67% said they would only do so if their rates were lowered by more than half.

Similarly, 65% of respondents said that no discount is worth installing a smart home device—e.g., a doorbell camera, water sensor or smart thermostat—if these devices shared data with their insurance companies, compared to 57% in 2021.

Other survey findings:

• 68% of those surveyed would not install a live dashboard camera for any insurance discount amount. For those who said they would install a dashcam, 74% would only do so if it cut their bill by at least half.

• 77% of respondents would not install a smart doorbell camera that shares facial recognition data with third parties for any home or renters insurance discount amount, an increase from 67% in 2021. Of the 23% willing to install smart doorbell cameras, 68% of people would only do so if the cost of their home insurance was cut at least in half.

• Of the 35% of homeowners and renters willing to install smart home devices for insurance discounts, 69% would only do it for a discount of half their bill or more.

“Although policyholders can often get lower insurance rates by agreeing to share personal information about their daily activities with their insurance providers, it’s clear consumers are overwhelmingly uncomfortable allowing data-sharing devices into their everyday lives,” Andrew Hurst, licensed property and casualty insurance expert at Policygenius, said in a statement. “For consumers who are seeking a way to reduce their costs without sharing their data, shopping the market with an independent broker continues to be an excellent way to save on insurance.”

About the Survey: Policygenius commissioned Google Surveys to poll a nationally representative sample of 1,500 home, auto, or renters insurance policyholders aged 25 and older, from July 18, 2022 to Aug. 10, 2022. The average margin of error for 2022 responses is +/- 5.5%. For 2021 data, it is +/- 3.2%. You can see more data and the full methodology in the Policygenius 2022 Home & Auto Insurance Technology Survey.

Topics USA Auto Data Driven