(business) Big Brother in the back seat? (from ATSNN), page 1

Big brother is in your car!!! Now insurance companies are offering a discount to monitor your driving habits in your car.

www.msnbc.msn.com
For two months, Jacob Sevlie's insurance company tagged along whenever he slid behind the wheel of his Honda Accord.

An electronic monitor the size of a matchbook closely tracked Sevlie's driving time and behavior. If he had a heavy foot or was a sudden braker, the auto data recorder would betray him.

Disconnected from the car and hooked to a PC, the device relayed Sevlie's digital driving diary to his auto insurer, Progressive Corp., with the click of a mouse during a pilot program earlier this year.

Although privacy advocates say the gadget smacks of Big Brother, Sevlie signed up and sent monthly data in hopes of saving money on his insurance bill. In return, he got a $25 stipend and the promise of a 15 percent rate cut when the program launches.

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I doubt this will be popular. A $25 discount on insurance is not enough for people to be willing to give up their privacy. In fact, for most people (including myself) privacy is priceless. Wait till the justic department starts using this for tickets.