This article was published on January 30, 2015

Uber scores well in independent privacy review, but is tightening employee training and data access


Uber scores well in independent privacy review, but is tightening employee training and data access

In case you’ve forgotten, Uber had a terrible PR week last November. One of its executives suggested hiring “opposition researchers” to fight back against negative press, and the company admitted to employees accessing its user data.

Uber tried to win back some trust by hiring a private law firm, Hogan Lovells, to review and improve its privacy practices. Today the company is making the results of that internal review public. In short, the firm gave Uber a good score.

Hogan Lovells suggests “Uber has dedicated significantly more resources to privacy than we have observed of other companies of its age, sector, and size.” That said, Uber acknowledges past mistakes, and intends to implement updated security protocols, as per the law firm’s suggestions.

Among these are mandatory employee training on privacy and security issues, clarifying data collection and use practices for users and tightening existing controls on employee access to user data.

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The company says it will publicly release its new and improved privacy policies soon; You can read the entirety of Hogan Lowell’s 40-page report in a PDF here.

Protecting Privacy: Our Commitment [Uber]

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