Consumer Watchdog Calls on Uber to Release Robot Car Test Data, Answer Ten Questions

SANTA MONICA, CA – Consumer Watchdog today called on Uber to release information about testing its robot cars in Arizona after pulling them out of San Francisco and to answer 10 questions about its vision for self-driving vehicles. In a letter to Uber CEO Travis Kalanick Consumer Watchdog's Privacy Project Director John M. Simpson wrote: "Consumer Watchdog believes you opted to pick up your toys and move because you wanted to keep important information about your robot car testing secret. We would welcome your proving our conclusion to be incorrect, by making public important information about your robot car activities. Using public highways as your laboratory carries the obligation of telling the public what you are doing." Consumer Watchdog noted that had Uber obtained a testing permit in California, the company would have been required to report any crashes of its robot cars to the Department of Motor Vehicles and to file annual disengagement reports, explaining when the robot car turned control over to the test driver and when the test driver felt it necessary to intervene.