Call is Part of Broader Inquiry into Racial Discrimination in the Sharing Economy
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 4, 2016 – This week, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee) opened an inquiry into Uber and Lyft
following recent reports concerning discrimination faced by African
American and other minority users of the companies’ sites.
Specifically, the Lawyers’ Committee has issued letters to the CEO of
both companies expressing concern regarding compliance with federal and
state laws, and highlighting a recent report by researchers at MIT and
the University of Washington showing that African American users of Uber
and Lyft may wait 16 to 28 percent longer to be accepted by drivers.
The Lawyers’ Committee’s inquiry follows recent reports by
researchers concerning both conscious and unconscious bias. In one
study, entitled Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal?,
researchers found that a resume with a White-sounding name received 50
percent more callbacks for interviews than the exact same resume with a
name associated with an African-American. Similarly, a recent study
concerning AirBnb found that applications from guests with distinctively
African-American names are 16 percent less likely to be accepted
relative to identical guests with distinctively White names. Because
Uber drivers can cancel a ride after seeing the name and photo of a
passenger, and because Lyft drivers see both the name and a photo of the
passenger prior to accepting or denying a ride, these studies – as well
as the recent study concerning sharing economy transportation providers
– raise serious concerns for minority Uber and Lyft users.
The Lawyers’ Committee’s letters identify a number of steps Lyft and
Uber can take to address discrimination by drivers. Echoing the
recommendation made by the researchers, the Lawyers’ Committee urges
Uber and Lyft to remove passenger names and pictures, and instead
provide a unique passcode to confirm a ride. Other recommendations
include increasing the disincentives for driver cancellations, auditing
driver behavior, analyzing data on driver behavior, requiring drivers to
complete a mandatory online course on how implicit bias may impact
their decisions, and requiring users to complete a short
anti-discrimination pledge.
The Lawyers’ Committee inquiry is part of a broader initiative
looking at issues concerning racial discrimination in the sharing
economy. This summer, the Lawyers’ Committee, along with the Lawyers'
Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, opened an inquiry into Airbnb. Following its work, Airbnb announced a series of preliminary efforts aimed at rooting out discrimination across its platform.
“No consumer should face discrimination on the basis of race in
today’s sharing economy,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive
director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “Uber
and Lyft must take action to eliminate discrimination faced by African
American and other minority consumers who seek equal access to
transportation opportunities made available through their online
applications and platforms. Companies that stand at the forefront of
our rapidly evolving sharing economy have an obligation to institute and
maintain best practices when it comes to prohibiting racial
discrimination.”
“The sharing economy opens up many opportunities for communities that
have been discriminated against historically,” said Arusha Gordon,
associate counsel at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
“The study released this week provides important information for
companies, such as Lyft and Uber, to reduce the impact of both conscious
and unconscious bias in their products and more fully comply with civil
rights protections.”
About the Lawyers’ Committee
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’
Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at
the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in
providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Formed over
50 years ago, we continue our quest of “Moving America Toward Justice.”
The principal mission of the Lawyers' Committee is to secure, through
the rule of law, equal justice under law, particularly in the areas of
fair housing and community development; employment; voting; education;
and criminal justice. For more information about the Lawyers’
Committee, visit www.lawyerscommittee.org.
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