Sometimes I think that technology has gone too far. There’s really no such thing as solitude or privacy any more these days, because you are always connected to everyone you know… And sometimes people you don’t know. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably getting a bit uncomfortable with the idea that multiple companies are monitoring your moment by moment activities. Thanks to our smartphones, smart cars, and even our smart thermostats, massive companies can keep tabs on their customers like never before. This really started to bother me the other day when I realized my smartphone is talking to my smart thermostat regularly. The smart thermostat app is uploading information directly to my insurance company. My insurance company utilizes the air quality information to determine my yearly premiums, based on my assumed respiratory health, activity levels, and immune system strength. Why on earth does the insurance company use my HVAC information? Apparently, your central heating and cooling system health can be correlated to your physical health. If your smart thermostat is indicating that you’re always at home, using advanced indoor air temperature control, It signifies that you lead a sedentary lifestyle. If your smart thermostat hasn’t detected an air filter change or air duct cleaning in several years, they assume you are at increased risk of respiratory disease. Lastly, if you are always changing the indoor air temperature control settings or modifying the air quality in ways that don’t agree with HVAC algorithms, my insurance company considers it an indicator of underlying health problems. Unfortunately, I didn’t know any of my HVAC activity would matter when I agreed to their health monitoring system. When I tried to explain that my two year old really loves to mess with the shiny smart thermostat, my insurance company wasn’t interested in reverting my premiums.