Social Intelligence Is Not Regulated
By Amy E. Feldman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - We all know that colleges and employers - in addition to old girlfriends - read your Facebook page. But who else is judging you on your posts?
When I say "social intelligence" you probably think: don't talk about politics or religion at a dinner party. But social intelligence has an entirely different meaning to insurance companies and others who use the data research center SocialIntelligence.com to learn about you, not from transcripts, job performance reports, credit scores or even driving record but rather from things posted on social media about you like pictures of you smoking, parachuting, or with a funnel in your hand. And, while the use of credit reports is highly regulated, according to Jeffrey Rosenthal, a Philadelphia-area attorney who authors the column Cyberlaw, there is no federal law limiting the potential uses of an online profile.
Insurance companies are already mining your data. So now you know that it's not enough to remain silent on social media about your bad boss; use your social intelligence to show others that you have a healthy lifestyle if you want your insurance premiums to get a healthier wallet.
