Photo: KnowTechie
Another Uber driver has been let go after a scandal, adding another controversial story to the ever-increasing pile featuring misbehaving drivers working for the ride-sharing company.
This time, it’s a 32-year-old man from St. Louis, Missouri, Jason Gargac, who recorded his almost 700 rides and then streamed them on Twitch. According to The Times, he made about $3,500 from advertisers during the time he worked for Uber and used the rides as material for an unlikely reality show.
The problem, as you may have guessed, is that he “forgot” to inform his passengers that their conversations would be shared with the world – or, at the very list, with his over 100 subscribers and 4,500 followers.
The videos generated hundreds of comments, including remarks on the physical appearance of the passengers, guesses as to where they lived and how much they earned, and speculation on their personal lives. The videos were slightly edited for offensive comments or sensitive information, but they still showed the passengers discussing their life at home, their bosses, their jobs, and pretty much anything else you can think of.
Gargac worked for Uber and Lyft, both of which have dropped him, after his side-job was made public. Apparently, Uber had received complaints about Gargac’s illegal recordings and streaming prior to that, but held off letting him go until the story went public in a local publication. Needless to say, such a move doesn’t put Uber in a good light – not in the least.
Gargac’s defense is that everything he did was legal. He says Missouri law allows recording a conversation in a public space, as long as one participant is aware of it. He was that one participant. And he considers his Chevrolet a public space.
Furthermore, he had a notice on the car that clearly informed his passengers that they were being taped. “For security this vehicle is equipped with audio and visual recording devices. Consent given by entering vehicle,” it read. It said nothing of the recording being shared online.
As for the reasons that determined him to do this, he says he wanted “to capture the natural interactions between myself and the passengers - what a Lyft and Uber ride actually is,” and share that with the rest of the world. Kind of like a reality show, except without the script.
The problem, as you may have guessed, is that he “forgot” to inform his passengers that their conversations would be shared with the world – or, at the very list, with his over 100 subscribers and 4,500 followers.
The videos generated hundreds of comments, including remarks on the physical appearance of the passengers, guesses as to where they lived and how much they earned, and speculation on their personal lives. The videos were slightly edited for offensive comments or sensitive information, but they still showed the passengers discussing their life at home, their bosses, their jobs, and pretty much anything else you can think of.
Gargac worked for Uber and Lyft, both of which have dropped him, after his side-job was made public. Apparently, Uber had received complaints about Gargac’s illegal recordings and streaming prior to that, but held off letting him go until the story went public in a local publication. Needless to say, such a move doesn’t put Uber in a good light – not in the least.
Gargac’s defense is that everything he did was legal. He says Missouri law allows recording a conversation in a public space, as long as one participant is aware of it. He was that one participant. And he considers his Chevrolet a public space.
Furthermore, he had a notice on the car that clearly informed his passengers that they were being taped. “For security this vehicle is equipped with audio and visual recording devices. Consent given by entering vehicle,” it read. It said nothing of the recording being shared online.
As for the reasons that determined him to do this, he says he wanted “to capture the natural interactions between myself and the passengers - what a Lyft and Uber ride actually is,” and share that with the rest of the world. Kind of like a reality show, except without the script.
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