Uber, the popular ride-hailing start-up, on Friday said it would strengthen its data privacy practices, responding to months of criticism that the company had taken a lackadaisical approach to guarding the customer information.
The company said it would adopt a series of new policies, including mandatory employee training on privacy and data security, among other improvements.
The news comes two months after an article from BuzzFeed News reported that an Uber employee had accessed the ride history of a journalist who wrote about the company. The story quickly caught the attention of privacy advocated like Senator Al Franken, Democrat of Minnesota.
Shortly thereafter, Uber enlisted the aid of Hogan Lovells, a Washington law firm, to conduct an audit of Uber’s privacy practices. Harriet Pearson, the Hogan Lovells partner who led the audit, recommended 10 general areas for the company to improve upon. Some of those suggestions included developing a schedule for regular reviews of the company’s privacy program, and more stringently reviewing how Uber partners deal with data security.
“Uber has put a strong privacy program in place,” Ms. Pearson said in a conference call with reporters on Friday. “Is there room for improvement? Yes.”
Many of the early privacy blunders, Uber said, were the result of the company’s rapid growth. The company has expanded to operating in nearly 300 cities around the globe in just a few years. As Uber grew, the company did not properly scale its internal data privacy tools and policies at a fast enough pace.
“It’s important to remember that we are a company that has grown exponentially in a short amount of time,” Katherine Tassi, Uber’s managing counsel of data privacy, said in the conference call. “It was only about a year ago that we were a quarter of the size we are now. Our policies have developed.”
According to the Hogan Lovells report, Uber now restricts access to user ride data based on the job responsibilities of the employee. The report said that a digital map that allowed employees to see the locations of riders in real-time — known internally as “God View” — was “retired over a year ago and replaced with an operations tool that now masks consumer data.”
Along with these changes, Uber said it soon planned to release a clearer version of its privacy policy to better explain its practices to users.
Some of Uber’s Legal Woes
Uber, which is now valued at roughly $40 billion, has faced series of legal problems around the world, including widespread protests from taxi associations and accusations that the company does not meet national transportation rules.
In the United States
OREGON DEC. 18, 2014
The company agreed to temporarily suspend its operations after the city of Portland accused the company of operating an “illegal, unregulated transportation service.”
CALIFORNIA DEC. 9, 2014
Two California district attorneys filed a civil suit Tuesday against Uber, charging that the company misled consumers about the methods it uses to screen its drivers.
SOUTH CAROLINA JAN. 15, 2015
The Public Service Commission of South Carolina orders Uber to cease and desist all operations within the state.
In Other Countries
SPAIN DEC. 30, 2014
The company suspended its service after a judge ruled earlier in the month that UberPop, the company’s low-cost service, did not comply with Spanish laws and potentially amounted to unfair competition for taxi drivers.
SOUTH KOREA DEC. 24, 2014
Authorities indicted Travis Kalanick, Uber’s chief executive, in connection with licensing laws that forbid rental car companies from operating taxi services.
INDIA JAN. 29, 2015
A woman who says she was sexually assaulted by an Uber driver last month in New Delhi filed a lawsuit against the company, seeking damages and overhauled safety measures.
NETHERLANDS DEC. 8, 2014
A Dutch court banned Uber’s low-cost UberPop service from operating in the Netherlands.
THAILAND DEC. 8, 2014
The head of Thailand’s Department of Land Transport ordered Uber to cease operating in the country.
GERMANY SEPT. 3, 2014
A state court issued the first nationwide ban on an Uber service. The ban was lifted in mid-September.
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Uber Accused of Lax Safety Practices by Delhi Woman
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