Uber Tracking Driver's Phone Data

[HardOCP News]

Joe Sullivan, Uber’s chief security officer, says that the company has been running a pilot program that tracks its drivers through the gyrometers and GPS in their phones.

That’s why we’ve been running a pilot program to verify feedback using smartphone technology. Gyrometers in phones can measure small movements, while GPS and accelerometers show how often a vehicle starts and stops, as well as its overall speed. If a rider complains that a driver accelerated too fast and broke too hard, we can review that trip using data. If the feedback is accurate, then we can get in touch with the driver. And if it’s not, we could use the information to make sure a driver’s rating isn’t affected.

 

[the-one1]

Broke =/ braked

 

[InorganicMatter]

I wonder if they'll also use this to sniff out the crooked drivers that intentionally take the long ways to rack up fees. Doubtful...

 

[w4ffles]

I wonder if they'll also use this to sniff out the crooked drivers that intentionally take the long ways to rack up fees. Doubtful...

They're not like cab drivers. Uber and Lyft drivers are given a route on their phone that they have to follow. The fee is also calculated when you request a driver so taking a longer route would only screw them out of gas.

 

[xinco]

They're not like cab drivers. Uber and Lyft drivers are given a route on their phone that they have to follow. The fee is also calculated when you request a driver so taking a longer route would only screw them out of gas.

You've obviously never taken Uber, or have been extremely intoxicated when doing so. They offer alternative paths to me all the time. Their Uber app always routes them to/from the airport to/from my house via the toll road, and it is usually like 2 minutes faster, but is silly to do so for all the tolls incurred.