Uber Pays $20,000, Impose Stricter Controls On Data Handling

As part of its settlement with Attorney General of New York, Uber would impose stricter controls on data handling.

Uber has agreed to make a payment of $20,000 to America authorities and impose stricter controls on the “God View” technology to handle user data to make a settlement of an inquiry conducted by attorney general of New York into its privacy practices.

The investigation was initiated after an official suggested that the organization was capable of tapping into information to keep a track of specific riders’ whereabouts. Apart from this, it later revealed last year violation of its system that succeeded in exposing the details of 50,000 drivers of the company.

Uber’s spokesman said the company had taken all the privacy measures requested by the Attorney General (AG) before the settlement was made. This included a privacy audit and limit upon access to riders’ location and other personal details.

Still, the settlement ensured that the transporter would be legally bound for taking specific measures to safeguard user information, including encryption of global positioning satellite based location details and authentication of any worker who should access that data for a commercial purpose.

“We are deeply committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of riders and drivers,” the spokesman of Uber said in an email, adding the organization is “pleased to have reached an agreement” with the AG.

The company has admitted in the settlement that it was not able to notify drivers, whose driver license numbers and names were taken in a safety breach until more than five months after the incident was discovered.

The breach took place in May 2 years ago and was noticed by the cab company in September 2014. It did not reveal the news to public or motorists until February last year. The violation affected driving partners in a number of states, but New York is only known for conducting an investigation on the company’s handing of the violation.

Most of state laws covering violation notification use vague limits of time, including that of New York, which is requiring notification “in the most expedient time possible and without unreasonable delay.”

Amongst states that provide specific guidance, none is over a time span of 2 months. According to reports of Market Watch, the AG of New York would probably proclaim the ending of a 14-month inquiry into the company’s data security regulations and rules.

Uber technologies allow users to hire cabs with the help of a mobile application. It has proved to be quite famous.