NNEDV Joins Communities Against Rider Surveillance Coalition to Help Ensure Survivor Privacy

The Safety Net Team at the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) recently joined the Communities Against Rider Surveillance (CARS) coalition to help ensure the privacy and safety of survivors are centered as cities across the country consider using Mobility Data Specification (MDS).  MDS is a system developed to help governments and regulators manage the shared mobility industry, that includes bikeshares, scootershares, and rideshares, and eventually other forms of connected transportation. The CARS coalition is a group of concerned citizens, privacy and civil liberties advocates, and transportation innovators committed to making city streets safer and more manageable while protecting rider privacy. As technologies like MDS emerge that allow local governments to track and direct people’s personal movements, CARS is working to ensure that riders maintain privacy and choice in the trips they take. We join the coalition in asking cities to engage with survivors and other local residents in a public dialogue before implementing vehicle tracking programs that could threaten rider privacy, and to be transparent about how they use, share, and secure location data. To learn more about how MDS impacts survivor privacy, check out our new resource: Scooters, Rideshares, and Taxis: Is Your Ride Private? Mobility Data Specification (MDS) and its Impact on Victim Safety. To learn more about Safety Net’s work with CARS, reach out to us at safetynet@nnedv.org, and to learn more about the coalition, including the status of MDS in your area, please contact CARS Member Outreach at keeley@stopridersurveillance.com.