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The privacy problem for internalizing behavioral externalities
The privacy problem for internalizing behavioral externalities

Author(s): Matthew Jeffers
Subject(s): Business Ethics
Published by: Akadémiai Kiadó
Keywords: privacy; behavioral externalities; pooling equilibria; separating equilibria; asymmetric information; price discrimination

Summary/Abstract: Providers of insurance used to have no other choice than to absorb the behavioral externalities of their policy-holders. New technology coupled with the incentives of low-risk consumers has made it possible for firms to price-discriminate on the basis of behavioral risk and thus internalize behavioral externalities. While cost-internalization is generally a positive development, the introduction of behavioral tracking technologies also introduces new economic and social costs. This paper explores the economic and moral trade-offs of adopting behavioral tracking technologies in various insurance settings.

  • Issue Year: 43/2021
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 60-74
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: English