"The utility of the activity data in risk mitigation and behavioural modification is questionable. For example, an actuary we interviewed, who has worked on risk pricing for behavioural Insurtech products, referred to programs built around fitness wearables for life/health insurance, such as Vitality, as ‘gimmicks’, or primarily branding tactics, without real-world proven applications in behavioural risk modification. The metrics some of the science is based on, such as the BMI or 10,000 steps requirement, despite being so widely associated with healthy lifestyles, have ‘limited scientific basis.’ Big issues the industry is facing are also the inconsistency of use of the activity trackers by policyholders, and the unreliability of the data collected. Another actuary at a major insurance company told us there was really nothing to stop people from falsifying their data to maintain their status (and rewards) in programs like Vitality. Insurers know that somebody could just strap a FitBit to a dog and let it run loose to ensure the person reaches their activity levels per day requirement. The general scepticism (if not broad failure) of products and programs like Vitality to capture data useful for pricing premiums or handling claims—let alone actually induce behavioural change in meaningful, measurable ways—is widely acknowledged in the industry, but not publicly discussed."
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0267364924001614