Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is after Lyft now, sending them a letter similar to one he sent Uber last month, demanding more information on their internal privacy policies.
After a storm of privacy inquiries into both companies, Lyft changed their privacy policy to a “tiered” system that limits employees who can access customer data to those who need the information in order to do their jobs.
Like his letter to Uber, Franken’s Lyft letter contains ten questions for the company. He asks who, specifically, can now see customer data, and under what circumstances, what kind of employee training is provided on these policies, and whether customers will be notified if their data is improperly accessed.
He also inquires about the specific meaning of some terms of their privacy policy—such as their ability to disclose personal and demographic information including “browsing history” and “ride transaction information.”
Franken is battling to heavily regulate ridesharing companies. His Location Privacy Protection Act would make it illegal for companies to collect user data without permission. Opponents fear that strict legislation like this could unintentionally and needlessly hamper innovation.
Most of recent negative attention for ride services has been focused on Uber, after critical reports from Forbes and BuzzFeed. Both outlets reported on abuses of Uber’s “God View,” with executives sharing personal information about current customers as a form of entertainment for company cocktail parties. BuzzFeed also reported that an Uber manager tracked a journalist without her consent. The manager has since been disciplined.
“People nationwide have embraced Lyft because of the improved accountability and transparency built into the platform, and we have continued to upgrade our existing privacy safeguards,” Lfyt responded to Franken in a statement. “The respect and rights of our users are at our core as a company, and we look forward to discussing this important issue and Lyft’s commitment to consumer privacy in depth.”
(h/t The Hill)
