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California May Ban Lyft And Uber From AI Price Gouging Users With Low Phone Batteries

⁨495⁩ ⁨likes⁩

Submitted ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨return2ozma@lemmy.world⁩ to ⁨technology@lemmy.world⁩

https://www.jalopnik.com/1933954/california-may-ban-lyft-uber-ai-price-gouge/

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Comments

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  • MisterMoo@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Why does Apple even let apps read my phone model and battery level?

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    • Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Because they pay apple? I’d imagine that’s obvious. It’s more useful metrics for the company, I would be surprised if they didn’t tier the information access about users behind closed doors.

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      • bobs_monkey@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        I’d rather the ability to fudge these stats to developers, cause my info is none of their damn business, especially when I’m paying for a service.

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      • phx@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        some permissions can be set per app. I’m not sure battery level is one of those and I have apps (i.e. homeassistant) which can read thatwithout me actually having explicitly allowed it. Usually it’s stuff one pictures/files, location, camera or health data that are restricted

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    • Katana314@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      In a way I think that expectation should be normal. What really shouldn’t be normal is for everything to be an app, and not a website.

      Windows Phone almost got this right - trying to focus more on HTML5 Manifest features and better browser/pinning integration, so that a company like Lyft can offer its full feature set through a website that works on all phones. Then, we could rely on the fact that we only need install a few apps that we trust.

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    • yonderbarn@lazysoci.al ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Last I checked Uber can be used from the browser. Not the most user friendly though

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  • pineapple_pizza@lemmy.dexlit.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    That’s just evil. Next they’re going to look into your calendar to see if you’re running late.

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    • Coldcell@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      No, next they’re going to reveal they’ve been mining your calendar data this whole time after a data breach forces them to admit it.

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  • Dojan@pawb.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    May? That already sounds like it’s illegal.

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    • defaultusername@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Laws only apply to people who havd under $10m.

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      • Atropos@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Easy! I haven’t gone out for coffee for a couple of years now, so I should definitely…

        Checks bank account

        Oh no

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      • surewhynotlem@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        I’ll be damned if I’m cutting back on avocado toast

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  • barfplanet@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    If Lyft and Uber are doing this then I genuinely applaud them. That’s astounding ingenuity in screwing over their customers. True innovators.

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    • BigDiction@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      The people making the big bucks in Silicon Valley are often the people really good at understanding psychology and manipulating people’s behavior.

      I honestly would have never thought of this either. I’m one of those traditional losers who thinks providing a good value/service at a sustainable margin is a good way to run a business.

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      • piranhaconda@mander.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Good way to run a long term business, sure. Good way to win at capitalism, no.

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    • stevedice@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Meh. Facebook serves beauty ads to female teens that recently deleted selfies.

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  • kimara@sopuli.xyz ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    The article doesn’t say they do this. It says: “In theory, a service could charge you more if you’re on a vacation in a foreign country, instead of your hometown, because they know you would be willing to pay more. It would be the same if your phone’s battery is low and you’re trying to get home.”

    A really bad headline, but not surprising I guess.

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    • blargh513@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Its called clickbait and Jalopnik is a piece of shit site anyway.

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  • CobraChicken3000@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    That’s a thing? Can they also tell that I’m in a shady neighborhood?

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    • JustARegularNerd@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      I mean, they absolutely could and it would be absolutely trivial to compare a database of crime rates to your departure location. The question should really be “Are they checking if I’m in a shady neighborhood?”

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      • dumples@midwest.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Don’t even need to compare. Just putting something like zip-9 / location into a machine learning model and it will do it for you. Just using advanced models to reinforce redlining

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  • xodoh74984@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    if battery < 10:
  price = price * 2

    Many AI. Much wow.

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  • pharceface@retrolemmy.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I never even considered that this was being done. Thankfully I rarely use those services.

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    • Glitterbomb@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Uninstalled uber last week when it told me to take a photo of my ID to ride. Next week I’ll hear about some Brazilian hacker that has 100 million US IDs from an uber leak. No thanks. Lyft will probably do the same thing soon, and I’ll unceremoniously dump their ass too.

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      • lemmyknow@lemmy.today ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        “Brazil” 💀

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  • BetaBlake@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Y’all gotta stop buying Apple shit

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    • MurrayL@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Nowhere in the article or the original report does it say this is specific to Apple devices.

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      • Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Yeah, but you can’t circumvent this on iOS. It’s incredibly easy to spoof information on android.

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      • WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Still, it’s good advice.

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  • cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    they should stop at 'from' and just ban them completely

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  • xxce2AAb@feddit.dk ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Look, does it really matter whether they do or not? If a company is morally bankrupt enough to conduct business like this in the first place, it’s a certainty they’ll just find some other novel way to be flaming assholes.

    If you don’t want to get cheated, stop doing business with thieves and liars.

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    • MurrayL@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Personally, I’d rather have a robust and up-to-date set of consumer protections rather than leaving everything up to ‘buyer beware’.

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      • xxce2AAb@feddit.dk ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        That would be ideal of course, but this is the US we’re talking about, so it seems unlikely that you’ll have them.

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  • yonderbarn@lazysoci.al ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I’ve stopped using both soon after the pandemic. I can call a taxi if I really need it.

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  • jaybone@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Did they ban AI from using commas in post subjects?

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    • FishFace@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Did they ban AI from using proper titling case?

      The answer is no, and this may be one way in which AI should be allowed to displace humans Who Write Titles By Capitalising Every Word Even The Ones Which Should Not Be.

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      • shalafi@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        I learned how to title in elementary school, because, ya know, it’s pretty damned elementary.

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