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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]

#21

Post by nostromo »

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 can ignore the letter. The committee could then issue a subpoena to force them to answer questions.

Uber could refuse the subpoena. If they did, Uber could be held in contempt of congress. But, that would require a full vote -- which seems very unlikely.

Hilariously, the last person to refuse to testify before congress was an IRS director (Lois Lerner). She was held in contempt... and then nothing happened whatsoever.

Congress's real power is to pass laws. Franken won't be doing much of that with the Republicans in control of the Senate.

I wouldn't be shaking in my boots if I was Uber...

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

#22

Post by bequanna »

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.

In my opinion, this is simply a distraction.

Where is the outrage over Target, Home Depot, et al carelessly storing and allowing credit card information for hundreds of millions of customers to be compromised?

Where is the outrage over my landloard losing my sensitive information and having no liability if/when my identity is stolen?

Use/abuse of data by companies is nothing compared to the damage that is done when data is stored improperly. How are we allowing companies to hold so much information that is so potentially damaging to us yet not able to hold them legally/financially accountable when our data is compromised because of their negligence?

I'm not sure what it would look like, but regulation and penalties should be focused on sensitive data storage not use.

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

#23

Post by smt88 »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #19
smt88 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

That's absurd. By that definition, Amazon, a 20-year-old company with $74 billion in revenue, is a startup.

Profitability has a lot to do with how you spend your money. "Startup" is commonly used to connote a small, new business. The dictionary says it is a "fledgling" business.

If Uber's revenue were the GDP of a nation, it would have 40 countries ranked below it. That's not a "fledgling" business, even if it isn't profitable.

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

#24

Post by WildUtah »

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.

"But how Uber could benefit from answering this fishing expedition?"

It's an opportunity to establish publicly that your company won't be engaging in any of the kind of shenanigans that can cost you customers in a competitive industry.

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

#25

Post by somebehemoth »

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.

Franken has been consistent in his support of privacy. Last year, he wrote to Tim Cook requesting clarification of Touch ID's details of implementation:

http://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=2562

"... that this "investigation" is merely him pandering to his constituency on his way out."

An alternative, and more likely, explanation is that he is just being consistent in representing his constituency throughout his career.

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

#26

Post by lmg643 »

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…

agreed. my first thought in reading this:

"Dear Mr. Kalanick - how dare you allow your staff to announce an idea to spy on the American people and use the information you learn against them? Didn't you know that privilege is exclusively for the US government?

You know we will partner with you to abuse the vast information available on the habits of Americans through your service when the time is right - no need to get people riled up more than they already are.

Best Regards, Uncle Sam."

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

#27

Post by mikeyouse »

leephillips wrote: post #20

Franken supported the NSA as the surveillance scandal broke: "I can assure you, this is not about spying on the American people." [ http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/the-nsa-has-at-least... ]. I thought it was relevant.

Franken also co-sponsored the original (much better) version of the bill that was voted down yesterday to prevent NSA dragnet surveillance:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2050720/tech-firms-push-for-n...

http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/1/4790484/can-the-nsa-transp...

Politics aren't always black and white..

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

#28

Post by debacle »

It seems like a lot of things are coming home to roost right now for Uber. As with many things, I think that Uber is the first player in an arena where the second player tends to survive (because they learn from all the first player's mistakes for free, the groundwork is laid, etc).

The barrier to entry for an Uber competitor is quite low and trust is the only thing that keeps Uber afloat. If they don't realize that and act accordingly, they could die relatively quickly.

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

#30

Post by ams6110 »

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…

My feeling also. If this isn't a case of the pot calling the kettle black I don't know what is. The Federal government is one of the worst offenders at being careless with personal data and of using it for political purposes when it suits them. I'm not defending Uber here, but this is just grandstanding by Frankin.
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