The Apple Watchhasn’t exactlybeen the breakout slay that Apple hop it would be . Increasingly , though , Apple has been turning its aid to a market where the vigil could still tally it bragging : insurers .
On Monday , CNBC reportedthat one of the land ’s largest life history insurance provider , John Hancock , has partnered with Apple to pop the question members of its Vitality program an Apple Watch for the monetary value of a $ 25 activation fee . The Vitality program is design to offer up perks to policyholders who survive goodish lifestyles . The Apple Watch is now one of those perks — as well as one of the way insurers hope policyholder will be encouraged to live healthfully .
Court cases nowregularly includeevidence gleaned from fitness trackers . In 2014 , in a first - of - its - form case , a Canadian law firm used Fitbit story toassist in turn out a guest ’s personal injury claim . And in 2015 , data from a Fitbit was used toundermine a woman ’s rape title . Just this year , a man ’s pacemakerput him in prisonfor arson . Reached for remark , a spokesperson for John Hancock did not answer to a request for specific detail on how much policyholder data it would have access to under the program .
Image: Alex Cranz/ Gizmodo
“ John Hancock is committed to protecting our policyholders ’ personal data , ” the company say in a assertion , join toits privacy policy , which does not specifically mention the Apple lookout man and has not been updated since thepartnership declaration . “ It will only be used for lead business and as permitted or expect by jurisprudence . We will not sell information or share wellness data point with third parties for their merchandising purposes . ”
It ’s a good bet , though , that policyholders will be generate up some amount of otherwise private information collected by that sentinel .
Google , Apple , and other society are put heavily in wellness technical school , hoping that equipment like the Apple Watch will not only allow us to track data about our own organic structure , but share it with people like doctors . In September , the FDA announcedthat Apple , Fitbit , Google , and others would all link up a pilot film programme design to speed the evolution of such engineering .
Privacy guard dog , though , have already raised flushed flags about health tracking , casting it as “ medical surveillance . ” John Hancock may be giving away an Apple Watch for gaudy , but it ’s possible its policy holders will be giving away a lot more that that .
[ CNBC ]
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