The driver service was originally supposed to pay Uber $ 59 million, but the company negotiated a deal that could reduce the fine by more than 99 percent. If the deal is accepted, the fine would be only $ 150,000.
In December 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) fined Uber $ 59 million – the equivalent of just under 50 million euros. At the same time, the agency threatened to suspend the license for driving in the state of California.
After a CNN investigation into the company, Uber released a security report to ensure transparency, according to CNN. December 2019 records indicate that the company received nearly 6,000 reports of sexual assault in 2017 and 2018. In addition, there were almost 500 reports of rape. 21 percent of the total complaints were in California – a total of 1,243 cases. Upon release, the CPUC requested that Uber provide more details about the incidents, but the company declined. This resulted in a large fine.
150,000 instead of 59 million US dollars
Uber appealed the verdict and the fine. According to CNN, Uber said that releasing data from previous incidents could re-traumatize those affected. Together with the department of consumer protection and the enforcement of the California government agency CPUC and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network – an American non-profit organization against sexual assault – the company is now working on a more comprehensive agreement.
The fine is said to be reduced to $ 150,000 – about 0.25 percent of the previous fine. As part of the agreement, Uber said it would provide anonymized data on incidents of sexual assault and give those affected the opportunity to decide for themselves whether they would like to be contacted by the CPUC in the future.
Uber also agrees to provide $ 5 million to the California Victims Compensation Board, which supports victims of sexual violence, and $ 4 million to develop industry-wide “problem improvements,” including best practice cases Classification, reporting and response to sexual incidents will be developed.
Compromise for the whole industry
According to CNN, it should also be part of the agreement that future data requests regarding sexual assault will no longer be directed to a single company, but to the entire industry. The California government agency can either reject the proposed compromise or attach additional conditions
In a statement, Tony West, Uber’s senior vice president and chief legal officer, said, “We have found a way to preserve the privacy and freedom of action of sexual violence survivors. We look forward to working with the commission further.” to shed light on this social problem and to help set a standard. “
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Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
