News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:L.A. temporarily suspends Uber’s permit to rent out elect... by lone_haxx0r on Monday November 04, 2019 @01:01PM (#21444355)
> why shouldn't they have access to the same type of data or where these scooters are? How hard is it to open up an API?

They don't have the right to know where I go.

Re:L.A. temporarily suspends Uber’s permit to rent out elect... by my_usernam3 on Monday November 04, 2019 @01:29PM (#21444694)
You as an individual I agree; there should be no disclosure of customers themselves. However, I do think the city deserves to know in real time where all the 30 pound lithium ion battery and motor, pieces of litter are.
Re:L.A. temporarily suspends Uber’s permit to rent out elect... by tqi on Monday November 04, 2019 @01:51PM (#21444990)
I think it's more complicated than that though.

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-los-angeles-sco...

> The data would not include a rider’s name, but even in sprawling metropolitan areas, paths between home, work and school are typically unique, experts say. Someone with basic coding skills and access to the data could easily connect a trip to an individual person.

> “This data is incredibly, incredibly sensitive,” said Jeremy Gillula, the technology projects director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco-based digital rights group.

Re:L.A. temporarily suspends Uber’s permit to rent out elect... by garrickvanburen on Monday November 04, 2019 @02:03PM (#21445126)
I suspect that part of Uber/Lime/et.al’s pitch to municipalities is to provide them greater visibility how people move through the city to help inform long-term planning.

Which would necessitate this data exchange is price they pay to operate in the city.

I also trust that cities are getting more sophisticated and if LA said that data exchange is their price for doing business, then good on LA for knowing how the dataset could benefit them.