An international study has revealed that Uber drivers are fighting back against the "algorithmic management" used by the ride-hailing company by gaming the system — even conspiring to go offline en masse to force "surge" pricing.The study, by Mareike Möhlmann and Ola Henfridsson of Warwick Business School, and Lior Zalmanson of New York University, found that drivers in various parts of the world have found ways to trick the algorithms Uber uses to control them. In addition to pushing up prices artificially, some deliberately cancel fares they don’t want, such as short rides that start remotely and UberPool rides, where drivers have to pick up multiple passengers heading in the same direction.The ride-hailing app, which operates in 570 cities worldwide and is valued at $68bn, has been plagued by controversy about its questionable management practices, which some drivers claim are unfair to them."Uber uses software algorithms for oversight, governance and to control drivers, who are ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.