SEATTLE — A University of Washington study evaluating a first-in-the-nation system to help Seattle rideshare drivers challenge deactivations found patterns of racial bias in which drivers were kicked off the apps.
Researchers examined the effects of a 2021 city ordinance that created a resolution center for Uber and Lyft drivers shut out of the apps to challenge their deactivations. The resolution center, which operated from July 2021 to January 2023, was run by the Drivers Union, a group affiliated with Teamsters Local 117.
Supporters of the resolution center argued rideshare drivers in Seattle have had few protections against passenger complaints and little recourse against unfair deactivations. About 74% of licensed rideshare drivers in the city are people of color, the University of Washington study estimates.
Getting deactivated is “the equivalent of being fired” and can be financially and mentally devastating for rideshare drivers, said Lindsey Schwartz, a research scientist at the University of Washington Information School who coauthored the report. Of the 134 drivers surveyed, 87% said they relied on rideshare income for basic needs.
University of Washington researchers collaborated with organizers at the Drivers Union, who helped with outreach to conduct telephone surveys and have focus groups with drivers. The Drivers Union did not pay for the study, Schwartz said. The research was funded by the university and think tank New America.
Reviewing 1,420 cases processed through the city’s resolution center, researchers found that while drivers of color and white drivers were deactivated at similar rates, drivers of color were reactivated at a higher rate.
“We interpret this difference as drivers of color being deactivated more frequently for resolvable infractions than their white peers,” the study read.
In a statement, a spokesperson from Lyft said the study “relies on a flawed methodology to reach its conclusion,” looking only at the arbitration center process and not “the other ways drivers had available to request a deactivation review.”
“Unnecessary deactivations negatively impact our business model, so we engage in review processes and aim to only deactivate drivers to protect the safety of our community,” the statement read.
When a driver is deactivated, they can appeal their suspension reaching an Uber or Lyft representative at driver support call centers or visiting local offices. But these channels are often unhelpful, the researchers said, and can be particularly difficult to navigate for immigrant drivers who don’t speak or read English as a first language.
“It translates to days and weeks of lost income [and] adds to the overall instability for drivers within Seattle,” Schwartz said.
Over half of all driver deactivations processed by the resolution center were for “minor” issues, Schwartz said, such as an expired for-hire driver’s license, submitting a scanned copy of a document instead of an original or for a false finding in an automated background check.
About 44% of drivers were deactivated for issues related to passenger and vehicle safety, including passenger complaints, reports of reckless driving or declining a trip to a passenger with a service animal.
But researchers said in some cases, drivers are deactivated for safety issues even when they’re not at fault, such as being hit by a drunken driver.
Anwar Abdella had been driving for Uber full time for nearly 10 years when he was deactivated for the first time in September.
Abdella said he was driving two drunk women late at night via Uber when one of the women vomited in the car. Abdella pulled over to let the passenger out and finish vomiting, and to take photos of the damage in his car.
As he took photos, the women began to attack Abdella, one of them hitting him in the back and forehead with her phone, he said. He quickly got back in his car and drove away, leaving the passengers on the side of the road, who called the police.
Officers later called Abdella and dropped the case soon after, finding he was not at fault. But by then, Abdella had been deactivated, and he said he could not get any response from Uber to reactivate his account.
“I was waiting and waiting,” Abdella said. “I’m the victim, why do I have to be deactivated? They ignore it.”
Abdella, who’s been a rideshare driver for Lyft as well for six years, continued to drive for Lyft but said business is much slower on that platform, likening it to effectively working part time.
“It was very hard,” Abdella said. “I cannot continue this way. I have a family and I have a lot of expenses to pay.”
Abdella said it’s not uncommon for passengers to mistreat or abuse him and other drivers. He said customers regularly demand drivers carry groceries up flights of stairs, or make unscheduled stops on the way to a destination.
Most drivers accept this, knowing they have few protections if a passenger files a complaint, he said. Passenger accounts aren’t verified the same way drivers’ are, and passengers might be motivated to submit false reports to get their ride refunded.
“Among the 16 drivers we spoke with in focus groups, many had been deactivated for complaints that were fabricated, retaliatory or motivated by racial bias,” the study said. “However drivers’ anxieties around deactivation and the challenges to getting reactivated leads to underreporting of these unsafe conditions.”
An Uber spokesperson said in a statement the company has “a rigorous evaluation process, controlled by humans, that reviews reports and determines whether or not temporary or permanent account deactivation is warranted.” It noted it has safety-related regulatory requirements that force the company to restrict drivers when there are issues with documentation.
“We are always listening to driver feedback and looking for ways to learn more about their priorities,” the statement read.
Schwartz said the study highlights the importance of representation for rideshare drivers, and also raises questions about Uber and Lyft’s use of third-party hiring platforms to process background checks and driving records.
About 80% of drivers who received assistance from the Drivers Union through the resolution center were able to get reactivated, the study found. The median suspension time for drivers that were ultimately reactivated was 111 days.
Under a state law passed last year, deactivation cases are now processed through a statewide driver resource center rather than through the city-based program. In addition to a statewide appeals process, House Bill 2076 provides drivers with a guaranteed minimum per ride and other worker benefits. The law was backed by Uber, Lyft and the Drivers Union.
“Through this [statewide] model, we hope to learn from both drivers and their representatives — creating opportunities for improvement and striving for fairness and transparency,” a spokesperson for Uber said in a statement.
As for Abdella, he said that in March, with help through the city’s resolution center, Uber finally responded to his inquires. On Wednesday, his account was finally reactivated, he said. He can’t provide rides just yet, though — he’s waiting for his updated documentation to be processed.
