November 02, 2016

US experiment finds racial discrimination by Uber and Lyft drivers

A new study conducted in two major US cities has found evidence of racial discrimination against African American men by drivers using ride-sharing apps such as Uber and Lyft.

Researchers based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and the University of Washington found that men with “black-sounding” names faced longer waiting times and were twice as likely to have their ride cancelled than men with typically “white” names.

They also found evidence of gender discrimination, with women being driven via unnecessarily long routes by “chatty” drivers—which they describe as “a combination of profiteering and flirting to a captive audience.”

To collate evidence, the researchers sent passengers to hail around 1,500 rides in Seattle and Boston using the apps, and recorded certain performance metrics.

In Seattle, waiting times for men with African American-sounding names were up to 35% longer than for men with white-sounding names.

Co-author Don MacKenzie of the University of Washington commented that: “Though completely eliminating discrimination is likely impossible, there are steps TNCs [transportation network companies] can voluntarily take to minimize service bias against minorities. We hope TNC companies take positive steps to address these problems.”

A spokesperson for Uber told Bloomberg that: “Ridesharing apps are changing a transportation status quo that has been unequal for generations, making it easier and more affordable for people to get around […] We believe Uber is helping reduce transportation inequities across the board, but studies like this one are helpful in thinking about how we can do even more.”

Ulf Rinne has written for IZA World of Labor about how basic personal information such as names may lead to discrimination in the hiring process, and how anonymous job applications can be used to alleviate this. He writes that: “When implemented effectively, anonymous job applications level the playing field in access to jobs by shifting the focus toward skills and qualifications. Anonymous job applications should not, however, be regarded as a universal remedy that is applicable in any context or that can prevent any form of discrimination.”

Related article:
Anonymous job applications and hiring discrimination by Ulf Rinne
Explore more IZA World of Labor content about workplace discrimination