According to a story in Wired, non-white Uber and Lyft drivers are suspended or deactivated more often after rider complaints than their white counterparts.
By the spring of 2022, James Jordan had been working as an Uber driver in Los Angeles for five and a half years. However his account was permanently deactivated in late March after receiving numerous customer complaints, leaving the single father of five jobless without any notice, according to the Wired story.
Jordan, who solely relied on Uber for income, and earned between $8,000-$10,000 per month, appealed multiple times to have his account reinstated, but was informed that his deactivation was final. One of the complaints made against him was that he had attempted to hit a passenger with his car, which he denied and offered to provide dashcam footage as evidence. Nevertheless, the company rejected his appeal.
A report by civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice–Asian Law Caucus (AAAJ-ALC) and Rideshare Drivers United found that drivers of color, such as Jordan, who is Black, and immigrant drivers were more likely to have their accounts deactivated after receiving customer complaints compared to white drivers. The report also revealed that drivers who did not speak English fluently were more likely to have their accounts deactivated. Uber and Lyft stated that they have a review process, led by humans, that evaluates customer reports and determines whether account deactivation is necessary. The companies also claimed to have an appeals process available to drivers through their apps.
“To get the companies to respond, you have to relentlessly call, email, and visit the hub office and pray that you’re lucky,” says Nicole Moore, president of Rideshare Drivers United, an independent lobby group based in California. “For drivers who don’t use English, there’s no route forward. It’s an exercise in wearing people down until they give up.”
Despite the power that companies like Lyft and Uber hold over drivers’ access to customers and work, drivers are classified as independent contractors rather than employees. In November 2020, California passed Proposition 22, a law that codified this status. However, many drivers have reported incidents of bias and discrimination by customers, including verbal abuse and sexual harassment, without receiving adequate support from the companies. Only 3 percent of drivers surveyed stated that their complaints were properly investigated.