FPF Testifies at NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission Hearing

Yesterday, Lauren Smith, FPF Policy Counsel testified at the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission’s (TLC) hearing about its proposed rules that add new trip reporting requirements for for-hire vehicle (FHV) bases.

Lauren explained that the proposed rules would create significant privacy risks by mandating that FHV bases transmit passenger drop-off time and location data. This can be highly sensitive information. These additional data points pose particular risks in light of the TLC’s existing data collection, given that FHV bases must already report the date, time, and location of passenger pick-ups. With the addition of drop-off data as proposed by the rule, the TLC’s data set would provide the TLC and the public with a comprehensive view of the movements of individual New Yorkers.

Lauren asserted that at minimum, the TLC should explore ways to: 1) tailor the data collection more narrowly to the stated purpose by focusing on trip duration rather than the location of passengers’ trips; 2) collect less precise, more general geographic information; and 3) enact policies and procedures that detail the privacy and security protections for such sensitive data.

Read the full testimony.