Uber and Didi equate surveillance with safety
After a passenger was murdered on May 6, Chinese ride-sharing provider Didi Chuxing says it’s considering recording trips.
How it would work: Pressing an SOS button in the Didi app would trigger the audio and video recordings, and a customer representative would monitor them in real-time.
Backstory: The move is a response to public outcry after a woman who used Didi’s carpooling service was found dead after her driver allegedly propositioned her. Drivers reportedly used social features in the app to gauge potential passengers’ physical appearance.
Why it matters: Chinese consumers tend to accept surveillance technologies more readily than other societies, but driver assaults on ride-sharing passengers are a global problem. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi recently told the Washington Post that his company is considering capturing video of Uber trips to convince consumers that it’s “the safest mobility platform around.”
How it would work: Pressing an SOS button in the Didi app would trigger the audio and video recordings, and a customer representative would monitor them in real-time.
Backstory: The move is a response to public outcry after a woman who used Didi’s carpooling service was found dead after her driver allegedly propositioned her. Drivers reportedly used social features in the app to gauge potential passengers’ physical appearance.
Why it matters: Chinese consumers tend to accept surveillance technologies more readily than other societies, but driver assaults on ride-sharing passengers are a global problem. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi recently told the Washington Post that his company is considering capturing video of Uber trips to convince consumers that it’s “the safest mobility platform around.”
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