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Facebook blocks UK insurer Admiral from profiling users for discounts
When you're a first-time driver, getting a reasonable car insurance quote can be a tricky affair. Age and inexperience on the road result in higher premiums, which only come down after you've proven you're not a danger to yourself or others for a number of years. Some insurance providers have offered ways to bring costs down by asking customers to drive with a companion app but one UK company, Admiral, decided to take the unusual step of tapping into car owners' Facebook accounts to assess their personality and decide whether they deserve a discount. At least that was the plan.
MetroMile launches pay-per-mile car insurance, trades a sliver of privacy for savings
The notion of tracking cars for insurance purposes tends to polarize us: it's either a technical marvel that gives an honest appraisal of how we drive, or a dystopian nightmare that makes it impossible to have a little fun without a large bill. MetroMile is banking on more of us taking the optimistic view. It claims to have the first 'true' pay-per-mile car insurance, and combines a fixed base fee with mileage derived from a tracking device attached to a given vehicle. Weekend drivers can theoretically save 20 to 50 percent, and any customer can see detailed analytics online. The catch, of course, is having to be comfortable with an insurer as a silent copilot. MetroMile is careful to note that it's only watching mileage -- it doesn't care if motorists swing by the racetrack or across the border. Provided that they're happy with relaying a piece of their driving experience to outsiders, Oregonians can sign up for MetroMile's experiment today; who knows, it might just pay off.
