Facebook dislikes plan to judge drivers by their profiles
Posted On: Nov. 2, 2016 11:31 AM CST
Facebook Inc. reportedly has squashed a car insurance company’s plan to use social media profiles to assess risk.
The social media giant voiced opposition this week to U.K. insurer Admiral Group P.L.C.’s OK plans to offer up to 15% off to younger drivers who allow the company to gain access to their Facebook posts, likes and photographs.
According to BBC, Admiral said it would allow first-time drivers to receive reduced quotes by allowing their Facebook profiles to be researched in order to gauge their personalities.
Admiral reportedly was trying to lure new customers with limited driving history. According to its own site, "New drivers are often quoted much higher insurance premiums as they have little driving history … and are viewed as 'high risk.'”
Admiral reportedly said it planned to use an algorithm to scour Facebook profiles to determine whether prospective first-time drivers would be careful drivers.
According to media reports, the plan was nixed by Facebook, which issued a statement saying the site has “clear guidelines that prevent information being obtained from Facebook from being used to make decisions about eligibility.”