In a rare but telling case, a Gujarat resident’s health insurance claim was rejected because his Google Timeline didn’t match the hospital location. According to a PTI report, Vallabh Matka from Silvassa was admitted to a hospital in September 2024 for viral pneumonia and later denied reimbursement by Go Digit General Insurance, which flagged discrepancies between his statement and his phone’s location data.
The Valsad district consumer forum ruled in Matka’s favour this month, noting that the insurer had no justifiable grounds and must settle Rs 48,251 with 8 per cent interest.
Can insurers legally reject claims using Google data?
“Insurers can reject a claim based on Google Timeline, but only under strict conditions,” said Hari Radhakrishnan, expert at the Insurance Brokers Association of India (IBAI).
“The data must be lawfully obtained with informed consent under India’s digital data protection laws and should decisively support the insurer’s claim. But mobile phones can be used by others, so the data often needs corroboration,” he said.
Anita Teli, chief compliance officer at Probus, clarified that digital data cannot be treated as standalone proof.
“Insurers must rely on medical records, bills, and discharge summaries. Digital tools may support a fraud investigation but aren’t legally admissible as sole evidence,” Teli said.
