Ken, a rideshare driver, found his livelihood abruptly halted when he received a notification from Uber stating, “Your driver account has been deactivated, and this decision is final.” Despite following recommended procedures and completing an improvement course, Ken was unable to regain access to his account. His story is not unique among drivers attending the Colorado Independent Drivers United (CIDU) deactivation clinic. Samantha Dalal of the Worker Algorithm Observatory at Princeton University noted that workers often struggle to appeal such algorithmic decisions.
In the U.S., app-based workers face opaque algorithms that determine their wages and employment status. Researchers at Princeton University's Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP) and the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) group are examining how these decisions affect rideshare drivers. They advocate for transparency in algorithmic processes to protect worker rights.
The researchers developed FairFare, a web application in partnership with CIDU, which provides transparency about platform fees by collecting data from drivers. This tool revealed unpredictable platform take rates affecting drivers' financial security. Additionally, FairFare's data helps study potential wage discrimination based on how platforms assign rides.
Transparency into trip offers and payment data can aid researchers in identifying algorithmic wage discrimination. Professor Veena Dubal describes this as unequal pay for similar work due to differing ride assignments or rates offered to different drivers for identical tasks.
In Washington state, a 2022 law allows drivers unjustly deactivated for more than three days to appeal their case and seek compensation under certain conditions. The FareShare tool supports legal teams in filing lost wage claims using historical trip data.
The research emphasizes the need for mandated transparency through periodic public disclosures akin to those used by social media platforms. The goal is not to disclose proprietary information but to understand systems through inputs and outputs while maintaining competitive advantages.
Mandated transparency could impact legislation like Colorado’s SB 24-75, which requires companies like Uber and Lyft to disclose driver wages and rider charges starting February 2025. Building accountability infrastructures ensures effective monitoring of disclosed data.