Al Franken Goes After Uber: ‘Troubling Disregard for Customers’ Privacy’

In light of recent controversies involving top Uber executives, Minnesota Sen. Al Franken (D) has sent a letter to CEO Travis Kalanick in which the senator decries what he believes to be a “troubling disregard for customers’ privacy.”

Citing the original BuzzFeed report, Franken, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, added that even though a company spokeswoman said tracking journalists’ travel logs would be a gross violation of the company’s privacy policies, the policies on the company’s website “do not in any clear way match or support” the spokeswoman’s clarifications.

Franken continued:

“This raises serious concerns for me about the scope, transparency, and enforceability of Uber’s policies. Moreover, it is unclear what steps, if any, you have taken to ensure that your policies are adequately communicated to all employees, contractors, and affiliates, and to ensure that such policies are fully enforced.”

Franken also raised concerns about Uber’s ability to track the locations of customers who have previously used the car service. He said the company has in the past used customer data for “questionable purposes.”

You can read the entire letter here.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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