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Senator Al Franken's Letter to Uber [pdf]

franken.senate.gov

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Re: Senator Al Franken's Letter to Uber [pdf]

#11

Post by waterlesscloud »

A_COMPUTER wrote: post #8

So, I completely agree with this letter, but I felt a sense of unease reading it. I realized why. Other companies are as bad or worse about privacy, where are all those letters? I wish there were a lot more of these and wonder if the only reason this one exists is because the blowup with Uber was so visible and so it can be used for political posturing.

If you're a company with a lot of user data along these lines, this letter serves as notice that you'd better be able to answer these questions for your own company. Who knows when The Eye will glare your way?

Re: Senator Al Franken's Letter to Uber [pdf]

#12

Post by w4 »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #11
A_COMPUTER wrote: post #8

So, I completely agree with this letter, but I felt a sense of unease reading it. I realized why. Other companies are as bad or worse about privacy, where are all those letters? I wish there were a lot more of these and wonder if the only reason this one exists is because the blowup with Uber was so visible and so it can be used for political posturing.

If you're a company with a lot of user data along these lines, this letter serves as notice that you'd better be able to answer these questions for your own company. Who knows when The Eye will glare your way?

> Who knows when The Eye will glare your way?

It never will - Franken loses his chairmanship of the committee come January when the Republicans take power, which only serves to highlight that this "investigation" is merely him pandering to his constituency on his way out.

Re: Senator Al Franken's Letter to Uber [pdf]

#13

Post by smt88 »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #5
tomcam wrote: post #4

I dislike Al Franken's politics greatly, but I think it's every bit his right to use the bully pulpit this way (I mean this sincerely). If Uber did track a journalist it is reprehensible. But how Uber could benefit from answering this fishing expedition? If I were Uber I'd simply stonewall. They are under no legal compunction to answer, and virtually no answer would help them.

> If I were Uber I'd simply stonewall. The federal government can make your life extremely difficult, fully funded startup or not.

This is an irrelevant point, but it's a stretch to call a 5-year-old company with $2B in revenue a "startup".

Re: Senator Al Franken's Letter to Uber [pdf]

#14

Post by waterlesscloud »

w4 wrote: post #12
waterlesscloud wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're a company with a lot of user data along these lines, this letter serves as notice that you'd better be able to answer these questions for your own company. Who knows when The Eye will glare your way?

> Who knows when The Eye will glare your way? It never will - Franken loses his chairmanship of the committee come January when the Republicans take power, which only serves to highlight that this "investigation" is merely him pandering to his constituency on his way out.

The subcommittee, which is specifically tasked with looking at tech privacy issues, isn't going away.

Re: Senator Al Franken's Letter to Uber [pdf]

#15

Post by hudibras »

andrewpi wrote: post #9
brianpgordon wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I imagine this is just a courtesy; if they decline to answer, then the committee can issue a subpoena and compel them to. Here's a nice white paper on Congress's subpoena power: http://www.mayerbrown.com/files/Publication/ec1203b2-a787-44...

Franken will no longer be Chairman of this committee in January when the Democrats are no longer in control of the US Senate.

Even if this is a Democratic-only concern (which I don't think it is), this would be an easy one for a Senator in the minority to sell to the Chairman as a personal favor. It would just be a subpoena to answer some questions; the Chairman wouldn't be signing up to actually do anything like sponsoring legislation.

Re: Senator Al Franken's Letter to Uber [pdf]

#17

Post by smt88 »

w4 wrote: post #10
A_COMPUTER wrote: post #8

So, I completely agree with this letter, but I felt a sense of unease reading it. I realized why. Other companies are as bad or worse about privacy, where are all those letters? I wish there were a lot more of these and wonder if the only reason this one exists is because the blowup with Uber was so visible and so it can be used for political posturing.

This was my reaction as well. Yes, Uber's behavior here is reprehensible. But it's also kid stuff compared to what other entities (including the Federal Government itself, whose behavior we never agreed to in a TOS agreement) are engaged in, and I have to wonder what, if any, authority the government could exert in these circumstances (disregarding the appropriateness of the use of said authority, or any potential le…

I see what you're saying, but there are two things that make this more egregious than other (assumed) offenses.

First, Uber did this brazenly and, one could argue, openly. Their hubris needs to be curbed this way.

Second, Uber explicitly wanted to go after a member of the press. The press is our shield against all the evil that is done against the public by governments and corporations.

We need our journalists to feel absolutely safe in their chosen profession. We may disagree with or even hate some of them, but we have to show people considering such an important career that it won't put them at risk.

As far as I know, Google and other companies are using/gathering our information equally legally. They might be doing something nefarious with it, but at least they claim to be responsible and honorable. With the exception of their press releases, Uber seems proud of their ruthlessness and lack of integrity.

Re: Senator Al Franken's Letter to Uber [pdf]

#18

Post by waterlesscloud »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #16

What are the rules here for Uber? Are they compelled to respond or can they just ignore this letter and move on?

They could ignore it, but then they could be subpoenaed, which they cannot ignore.

Completely ignoring it would likely bring quite unpleasant results. Even with the subcommittee chairmanship changing party hands, Senators aren't going to look kindly on a company ignoring a request for information.

Re: Senator Al Franken's Letter to Uber [pdf]

#19

Post by toomuchtodo »

smt88 wrote: post #13
toomuchtodo wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If I were Uber I'd simply stonewall. The federal government can make your life extremely difficult, fully funded startup or not.

This is an irrelevant point, but it's a stretch to call a 5-year-old company with $2B in revenue a "startup".

You're an experiment/startup until you're profitable, at which point you become a real business.
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