Uber drivers sue for data on secret profiling and automated decision-making

guest · Jul 20, 2020

Uber drivers sue for data on secret profiling and automated decision-making
Uber Drivers in GDPR Fight to Unmask Algorithms
July 20, 2020
https://venturebeat.com/2020/07/20/...cret-profiling-and-automated-decision-making/

Uber drivers in Europe are suing for access to more of the personal data the company collects on them, as permitted by the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including information on “profiling and automated decision-making.”

The union representing the drivers said they’re seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the algorithms that underpin Uber’s “automated decision-making” system.
This level of transparency, the union said, is needed to establish the level of “management control” Uber exerts on its drivers, allow them to calculate their true wages and benchmark themselves against other drivers, and help them build “collective bargaining power.”
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Profile data
The group alleges that Uber withholds key information from drivers, particularly metrics it uses to monitor their performance, such as late arrivals, canceled rides, inappropriate behavior, and attitude issues. This secret performance-related profile data, the plaintiffs argue, is what enables Uber to exert “management control” over drivers.

A pivotal argument in many of these cases is the lack of control drivers have over their own “businesses” — drivers can’t set or negotiate prices with riders and are tethered to Uber’s terms and conditions.
In other words, if drivers really are in charge of their own livelihoods, Uber should have minimal control over their affairs.
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This isn’t just about the four drivers in question — the broader aim is to build a comprehensive “data trust” to help drivers and other workers in the information economy attain more collective bargaining power.
An Uber spokesperson told VentureBeat the company “works hard” to comply with GDPR data requests but can’t always provide requested information.

“We will give explanations when we cannot provide certain data, such as when it doesn’t exist or disclosing it would infringe on the rights of another person under GDPR,” the spokesperson said.
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Uber drivers demand access to their personal data

A number of Uber drivers from the United Kingdom have filed an application with the District Court of Amsterdam, exercising their data privacy rights.
The drivers ask for access to their personal data and for information on profiling and automated decision making by Uber. Uber must provide this information to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
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Uber drivers sue for data on secret profiling and automated decision-making

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