The Lagos State Government of Nigeria has accused Uber, a big company that helps people get rides, of breaking a deal made in 2020 about sharing data.
The deal said that companies like Uber should let the government see information about trips in real-time through their systems.
Oluwaseun Osiyemi, who is in charge of transportation in the state, says that this sharing of data is very important for keeping transportation safe and well-managed, which is good for everyone who lives there. But Uber says it has done everything it was supposed to, like paying fees every year, charges for each trip, and sharing data.
Back in 2016, Uber admitted to giving data about over 11.6 million users and 600,000 drivers to government groups worldwide.
Uber said they always follow the rules set by governments, including in Nigeria. But they don’t agree to give out too much data or data that is very private.
When Lagos changed its rules for ride-hailing in 2020, a former transport leader named Frederic Oladeinde explained that they only need basic trip data from companies like Uber.
The government’s argument has remained the same: it wants to be able to identify both drivers and riders and protect users in cases of emergency. Also that they just want to know where the trips go so they can calculate the right fees to charge.
While Uber remains hesitant to share real-time details with the Lagos state government, Bolt and an unidentified ride-hailing company already comply with the new rule.