Uber is tracking its drivers in China, will fire anyone attending taxi protests

Here's an excerpt from the original Wall Street Journal article that this article is based on:[1]

``In two short messages sent to Uber drivers in Hangzhou and circulated online—verified with Uber in China by The Wall Street Journal—Uber urged its drivers not to go the scene and instructed those already there to leave immediately. Uber said it would use GPS to identify drivers that had refused to leave the location and cancel its contracts with them.

The messages said Uber’s actions were designed to “maintain social order.”

In a statement issued Saturday, Uber also said one Uber driver involved in an incident during Friday’s confrontation was licensed and had cooperated with the Hangzhou authorities. The company was strongly against any extreme behavior that could affect harmony and stability, the statement added.``

"Maintain social order"? "Extreme behavior that could affect harmony and stability"? Those sound exactly like words that we'd expect to be hearing from China's authoritarian government, not from an American company.

[1] http://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-orders-drivers-in-china-to-... [paywalled, available via Google search]

> The company reportedly said in messages to its drivers that it will use GPS coordinates to determine if drivers are attending the protests, which have been sparked by the rise of illegal competition for taxi drivers. Uber's harsh stance, the company says, is designed to "maintain social order."

It feels like Uber is ultimately less about rides and more about tracking and control.

I never used Uber, but I will be boycotting them intentionally after this.