Alex Rosenblat

Uberland will be of interest to anyone concerned with the future of work and the impact of tech platforms on policy. It describes Uber (as a representative of data-hungry companies, ride-hailing companies and shared economy platforms, but also as a company with its distinct culture) through five main themes:
- in context of the impact of the 2008 crisis, which has partly redefined work and what is necessary to make ends meet. And how some type of work stopped being considered as work, being show more re-labeled as sharing economy---hiding how it inherits and perpetuates inequalities;
- Drivers' motivations, classified in three categories: hobbyists, part-timers, and full-timers. Only the latter depend on it for their livelihood, and fully identify as workers. This lessens opportunities to unionize. Hobbyists and part-timers are especially likely to cite social relationships with riders. Time spent using the app also impacts motivations (Uber has a high turnover).
- Uber's discourse about entrepreneurship, and conversely, how drivers interpret it. Some drivers do identify as entrepreneurs, in that they can choose their own schedule, but this is far from shared.
- How Uber manages money and ride prices. The author tracks the many tweaks made to how riders and drivers are shown prices, when fees are paid and the surge mechanisms. It highlights how, even when Uber claims transparency, they manipulate prices in any way they like, tricking drivers into getting in debt without any possibility for income improvement. In short, drivers cannot form a work strategy to improve their position, which is at odd with the entrepreneurship discourse.
- the tracking of drivers and the support they receive as customers, including drivers' fears of being listened to and watched. It covers how the rating systems affect drivers unfairly, which may lessen their feeling of being part and appreciated as part of the community-based shared economy, the lack of protection from sexual harassment, etc.
- How Uber avoids or settles legal pursuits, as well as establishes many contradictory temporary alliances to further its agenda (and steals from other companies and and and). It ends up pitting people who should have shared interests against each other (such as organisations for lessening the racial divide and labor advocates), which all benefits Uber. Also covers the sexist and harassing company culture and that working for Uber is becoming a blemish on one's CV.
The book concludes by outlining that despite all this, Uber still sets the tone when it comes to the future of work and technology. show less

This is an engaging exploration of how Uber changes how we conceive of work. Based on both macro examination of the legal frameworks that Uber has used to its benefit (defining itself as a tech company and not a transportation company, and treating drivers alternatively as consumer and independent contractors), and micro ethnography and interviews, Rosenblat provides a full picture from the perspective of both drivers, and the impact of Uber on the culture.

Obviously a very timely book well show more worth a read. show less

Didn't really like this. So wildly anti-Uber.