A recent case in Gujarat has triggered debate over the use of personal digital data in health insurance claims. Vallabh Motka, a resident of Silvassa, had his medical claim of ₹48,251 rejected by Go Digit General Insurance after the company claimed his Google Maps Timeline did not confirm his presence at the hospital where he was admitted for viral pneumonia in September 2024.
Motka, who had a mediclaim policy worth ₹6.52 lakh, submitted all required hospitalization documents and disclosed pre-existing conditions. Despite this, the insurer cited discrepancies in hospital bills, case papers, and Google location history to deny the claim. After repeated appeals failed, he approached the Valsad Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (CDRC) in March 2025.
The CDRC ruled in his favor, directing the insurer to reimburse the claim and pay compensation for mental harassment. The commission stated that hospital records and a doctor’s certificate confirmed his admission, and reliance on Google data was misleading and insufficient.
Legal experts note that privacy is a constitutional right, upheld by the Supreme Court’s Puttaswamy judgment (2017). Current IRDAI regulations and the DPDP Act, 2023 do not authorize insurers to demand or use location data.
This case sets an important precedent: medical claims must rest on authentic medical evidence, not invasive digital tracking.
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