How Uber’s business model works and the role technology has played in its success

Uber is one of the most rapidly growing taxi service application that is considered as the most lethal contender to the traditional taxi service where you would phone a taxi service provider or wave to a taxi and sit in to be taken to your destination. The functioning of Uber is based on the geolocation of both the people who want a taxi and the taxi itself (Uber, 2017). The taxi drivers register their cars within the Uber application and make an account for themselves by providing their identification and the car registration details. The same way, the customers also register on the application. The role of technology is vital in the use of the Uber application. Both the customer and the taxi drivers need to have Uber application installed on their devices. Uber is available on Apple’s IOS and Google’s Android. Both the customers and the taxi drivers need to have an active internet connection and their GPS on with the Uber application given permission to trace their location. When a customer needs a taxi, they log on to their Uber application and look for any taxi available in the locality. If there is any, they would be able to see them on the map. They can click on the mobile number of the taxi driver the nearest to them and request a ride. In many countries, Uber offers monthly packages to taxi drivers where they can subscribe for a monthly package and start using Uber application. Uber is much more convenient than the traditional taxis. The traditional taxi service required calling the office of the taxi company and then they would trace their cabs around the city and tell them to come to you. With Uber, you can do the tracing and requesting the driver by yourself from the palm of your hand. What are the arguments for banning these types of businesses? What are the arguments for defending them? A historical argument against Uber, and which in my opinion is true is that Uber is not properly regulated under the required laws that control taxi services (Argument Against Uber, 2014). Uber might be violating laws preventing the disclosure of the privacy information related to the location of their customers. Another argument against Uber is that they do not have a proper system installed to scrutinize their taxi drivers. The taxi drivers are only required to submit some documents online and they get registered. On the other hand, taxi providing companies do a proper criminal check of their drivers which prevents the life and safety of their customers. There are also many who believe that Uber is doing a tremendous job. Their customers can get their taxi ride really cheap compared to a taxi providing company. The reason is that the application helps you trace the nearest driver to you who might not have to spend much gas as compared to a person who would come to give you a ride from some distance in the case of traditional taxi services. Another argument made in the favor of Uber and other such kinds of application is the ease of using it. The customers can make an account on Uber and trace all their travel history. The application is really easy to use and much more convenient than traditional taxi services. I personally like to utilize Uber and find it much more convenient than when it used to be the traditional taxi services. Have you ever thought about the data you leave behind for marketers to collect? Marketers are always looking for digital footprints, which are traceable sources of online activities. Visit www.internetsociety.org/your-digital-footprint-matters and review the various resources available. Select one of the tutorials and present what you learned from the video. I visited the internet society’s website and selected to watch the video tutorial related to the economic bargain of internet users (What Is The Economic Bargain for Internet Users? | Internet Societ, 2017). It appears that nothing is free on the internet which is otherwise claimed to be free. Usually we hear that watching a video, reading a blog, joining a social network etc. have no apparent costs. But here the word “apparent” is important because there is a cost for almost everything. These costs come from you watching the advertisements place on these social networks, blogs and website. Even different website that require your personal details to register for free stuff may actually be selling your personalized information to private marketers who may be sending you marketing emails or junk mails. The tutorial states and I quote, “if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product”. This is a simple sentence but a great meaning for us to think about internet browsing. Are we really becoming the product that the websites that we visit sell to other individuals and organizations e.g. marketers? After reviewing the tutorials on http://www.internetsociety.org/your-digital-footprintmatters, do you plan to alter your online habits? Are you concerned about your digital footprint and the data trail you leave behind, and do you plan to actively manage them? Why or why not? To be honest, I have realized that I am leaving a lot of footprint online. I do not even know how many websites I have shared my credit card numbers with till now who might abuse this information. Also, I would fill up online forms to reach to free offers which, I have realized is extremely irresponsible of me. I was not concerned in the past but now, I am extremely concerned. I think that I have to change my habits and I must. I am not sure exactly how I am going to safeguard my privacy in the online world but I am sure that after I do research on this topic and watch more video tutorials on Internet Society website, I would be able to figure a way out. From now on, before I submit my credit card information online, I would make sure that the website I am using is legitimate. Also I would avoid submitting my personal information to avail free offers.

References:

Uber. (2017). Uber.com. Retrieved 11 November 2018, from https://www.uber.com/enPK/ride/how-uber-works/ Argument Against Uber. (2014).

Time.com. Retrieved 11 November 2018, from http://time.com/3592035/uber-taxi-history/ What Is The Economic Bargain for Internet Users? | Internet Society. (2017).

Internetsociety.org. Retrieved 11 November 2018, from https://www.internetsociety.org/your-digitalfootprint/economic-bargain