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Uber will start audio-recording rides as a safety measure
- mindfulhack 7y agoThis is one of the worst privacy and surveillance tech stories I have ever read in my life. This idea is atrocious and a dangerous slippery slope promoting a 'norm' in which everyone in society is constantly being recorded, everywhere. Socially and culturally people will censor themselves and stop being human anymore. This is anti-diversity and anti-consumer. It will only serve the tech corporations' insurance policies. And what's to stop Uber secretly using the recordings for commercial big data purposes anyway? It's also anti-business and makes no sense either way - what if a businessperson wants to discuss a private conversation that normally has legally-protected confidentially? Suddenly Uber has a permanent recording of that conversation, no matter what. That means less value as a service to me. I will stop taking Uber if I know that this will start to be the service's default. Or I'll just be quiet and explain to drivers that I don't feel like being listened to by default when I'm travelling in a car. Dehumanising, and anti-productivity. It's always 'safety' and 'security' that takes away our most important rights.
- beatgammit 7y agoI take Uber only occasionally, and this news makes me never want to touch it again. I have uninstalled the app and I'm looking into Lyft to see if they also have a similar policy, and if not, they will be the ones to get my occasional business. I already worry about my smartphone spying on me (can't wait for Librem 5/PinePhone), now I have to worry about my taxi service doing it as well? Why is everyone so intent on listening to/watching me?