Report: Uber uses GPS to punish drivers in China who get close to protests

Xeni Jardin 12:14 pm Wed Jul 8, 2015

CHINA UBER

Uber is urging its drivers in China “not to get involved in conflicts with authorities and has threatened to punish those who disobey,” reports the Wall Street Journal.

“The appeal came following a confrontation Friday evening in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou between drivers from local taxi services and Uber.”

To appease the Chinese government, Uber is using GPS on drivers’ phones to ID and threaten any Uber drivers who get too close to taxi drivers' protests.

Danielle Wiener-Bronner at Fusion breaks it down here.

Uber’s been in a shaky place, both with the government and with the taxi-driving community, for a long time now. But the incident that prompted Uber to explicitly warn drivers away from participating in protests, however, happened on Friday. On that day, a local official in Guangzhou reportedly hailed a car driven by one of Uber’s ride-share competitors, Didi Kuaidi. The official tried to arrest the driver, and set another major protest in motion.

“Uber Orders Drivers in China to Steer Clear of Taxi Protests” [wsj]

“Uber is using GPS to punish drivers in China who get too close to protests” [fusion]

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