Ride hailing company Uber has been fined over its refusal to turn over records of alleged victims of sexual assault involving its drivers.
Uber justified its decision by saying that providing the sexual assault records would be a "shocking violation of privacy" for victims. As a result, the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) imposed the fine and argued that public disclosure of the information was not required.
The alleged sexual assaults happened in the state from 2017 to 2019. Uber is given 30 days to settle the CPUC fine or face having its services suspended in California.
Uber's refusal to submit records
According to Uber, public disclosure may be traumatic for the victims and may potentially place them in danger and discourage others from coming forward. Aside from this, the company also said it might not have a complete account of the incidents.
However, the CPUC pointed out in its most recent ruling that it "requires only that the information regarding sexual assault and sexual harassment be submitted to the Commission under seal", which would mean details of individual cases would be kept private.
"Uber's effort to frustrate Commission oversight of the particulars of sexual assault and sexual harassment claims is also troubling given Uber's professed desire to provide the safest transportation services," the regulator added.
On the other hand, victims' rights group Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) sided with Uber and said the firm should not have to share victims' names without their consent. RAINN is in a partnership with Uber to provide tips for "the best ways to respect others while driving and riding".
Critics have pointed out that in the past, Uber has shown little regard for user privacy. In 2017, Joseph Sullivan, the then-security chief at Uber, was fired for allegedly trying to cover up a data breach in 2016 that exposed the details of 57 million Uber drivers and passengers.
Sullivan was charged with obstruction of justice last August.
According to the charges filed by the US Department of Justice, Sullivan had taken "deliberate steps" to stop the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from discovering the 2016 incident.
Sullivan is accused of approving the $100,000 payment to the hackers, which was in the form of bitcoin. According to the filing, the payment was disguised as a "bug bounty" reward. He allegedly asked the hackers to sign non-disclosure agreements, falsely stating they had not stolen any Uber data.
It was also discovered in 2016 that Uber used an internal company tool called God View, which enabled employees to determine the location of Uber vehicles and customers who had requested a car.
Increased prices
Just a few days ago, Uber announced that it will increase its prices for rides and food deliveries to cover new benefits for California workers under Prop 22.
The increase in Uber prices comes following the passage of Proposition 22, or Prop 22 in California last November, which exempts companies such as Uber from classifying their gig workers in the state as employees but will have to provide them benefits such as workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, family leave, or sick leave.
According to Uber, the new flat fees, which will range from $0.30 to $2 based on service and location, was implemented starting Monday.
Under Prop 22, Uber’s drivers and delivery workers will remain as independent contractors but will receive benefit concessions, including a minimum earnings guarantee based on "engaged time," or the amount of time a driver spends in fulfilling a ride or delivery request, but will exclude time spent waiting for a gig.
The company informed its drivers about the changes via a blog post and email, which says: "If you earn less than the guaranteed minimum over 2 weeks, we’ll pay you the difference automatically."
