Uberland: How algorithms are rewriting the rules of work

285 Pages·2008·18.553 MB·English

by  Alex Rosenblat

alex rosenblat
university of california press
a NAOMI SCHNEIDER book

The publisher and the University of California Press Foundation
gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the
Barbara S. Isgur Endowment Fund in Public Aff airs.
alex rosenblat
university of california press
University of California Press, one of the most
distinguished university presses in the United States,
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in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation
and by philanthropic contributions from individuals
and institutions. For more information, visit
www.ucpress.edu.
University of California Press
Oakland, California
© 2018 by Alex Rosenblat
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Rosenblat, Alex, 1987– author.
Title: Uberland : how algorithms are rewriting the rules
of work / Alex Rosenblat.
Description: Oakland, California : University of
California Press, [2018] | Includes bibliographical
references and index. |
Identifi ers: lccn 2018023686 (print) | lccn 2018025474
(ebook) | isbn 9780520970632 (e-book) |
isbn 9780520298576 (cloth : alk. paper)
Subjects: lcsh: Uber (Firm) | Ridesharing—United
States.
Classifi cation: lcc he5620.r53 (ebook) | lcc he5620.
r53 r67 2018 (print) | ddc 388.4/13212—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018023686
Manufactured in the United States of America
26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction: Using an App to Go to Work—
Uber as a Symbol of the New Economy
1
1. Driving as Glamorous Labor: How Uber
Uses the Myths of the Sharing Economy
21
2. Motivations to Drive: How Uber’s System Rewards
Full-Time and Recreational Drivers Differently
49
3. The Technology Pitch: How Uber Creates
Entrepreneurship for the Masses
73
4. The Shady Middleman: How Uber Manages Money
107
5. Behind the Curtain: How Uber Manages
Drivers with Algorithms
138
6. In the Big Leagues: How Uber Plays Ball
167
Conclusion: The New Age of Uber—How Technology
Consumption Rewrote the Rules of Work
197
Appendix 1. Methodology:
How I Studied Uber 209
Appendix 2. Ridehailing beyond Uber:
Meet Lyft, the Younger Twin 217
Notes 221
Index 261
Acknowledgments
She’s great at making humongous Uber stories, but what does
that have to do with making breakfast?
Raphael, age eight, at seven o’clock in the morning
That’s just the outcome. What’s the reason?
Aron, age fi ve, past bedtime (He asked why he
had to go to bed and was warned he would get
into trouble if he didn’t.)
I owe special thanks to my family, my mentors, colleagues, and friends.
This book also takes special inspiration from my grandfather, Ernie
Rosenblat, a trucker who was always on the road, and my grandmother,
Molly Rosenblat, who was very glad to see him at the end of each week.
No one has engaged more with my day-to-day discoveries in Uber-
land than Adam. His excitement and curiosity buoyed my own, and he
gave vision and moral fortitude to a project of critical inquiry. He is
also a devoted parent and husband, a doctor, and a health technology
entrepreneur, and he cooks almost all of our family meals.
danah boyd is infi nite in her friendship and brilliant in her mentor-
ship. She instantly understands and appreciates the observations I can
make in the world. With her unique ability to identify what people are
capable of becoming, she created opportunities for me that I couldn’t
see myself. I am grateful to her beyond measure.
To Yossi Farren, who’s been reading and supporting my work since
before I knew I was doing it.
vii