How Nest and FitBit Might Spy On You For Cash

Nerval's Lobster writes: "Forbes offers up a comforting little story about how Nest and FitBit are planning on turning user data in a multi-billion-dollar business. 'Smart-thermostat maker Nest Labs (which is being acquired by Google for $3.2 billion) has quietly built a side business managing the energy consumption of a slice of its customers on behalf of electric companies,' reads the article. 'In wearables, health tracker Fitbit is selling companies the tracking bracelets and analytics services to better manage their health care budgets, and its rival Jawbone may be preparing to do the same.' As many a wit has said over the years: If you're not paying, you're the product. But if Forbes is right, wearable-electronics companies may have discovered a sweeter deal: paying customers on one side, and companies paying for those customers' data on the other. Will most consumers actually care, though?"

Depends on if it is in aggregate.

[captaindomon]

Will they care? It all depends on the data being shared is in aggregate. I don't care if people know that the average person in my city walks a thousand steps a day, and that still has a lot of value for health care companies, and I'm happy to contribute to that. I *DO* care if they know the details about me *individually*. There is a big difference.

Re:Not the same, but tangentially related...

[simtel]

If someone has to habitually hard-stop, then there is a very good chance that they're habitually driving too fast for conditions and/or not leaving enough space to stop in. This data is being used to establish the driving habits of the user - and as such the one or two 'avoid accident' stops will become outliers. It's the habits that push people into the higher risk pools, not the outliers.