From: Citylab
The new mobility mode is generating a lot of rider data. It’s fair to ask where it’s likely to end up.
On a blue-sky day in Washington, D.C., dockless bikes are the ticket to ride. Key in your credit card digits into any one of five dockless bikesharing apps, locate a candy-colored two-wheeler nearly anywhere in town, and unlock it with a QR-code scan. For just a buck or two an hour, you can cruise to your heart’s content.
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If your bike comes courtesy the Beijing-based companies Ofo or Mobike—the two dominant dockless players, now muscling their way into the U.S.—there’s a chance your data could eventually land in China, where the line between state and private sector is notoriously blurry. Some cybersecurity and data privacy experts think that could be a compromising position.
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