Uber has successfully established itself as an organisation centred around safety and ensuring the satisfaction of its drivers and riders alike. They have taken the initiative to ensure that they have a positive impact in every community in which they operate, and consistently reach outside the bounds of their job description in order to achieve this. Studies have revealed a strong correlation between Uber's presence in cities and a reduction in the amount of drunk driving.
Uber has made their service accessible 24/7, so they are always available. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on Uber's ability to operate in times of emergency as they are heavily relied upon to transport customers to a safe destination. In addition, Uber utilizes its extensive network of driver partners during times of emergency by using its Uber Partner app to send AMBER alters (child abduction) to all drivers who are online, because in their own words:
"the more eyes we have on the road, the safer we all are."
Conclusions: Uber's focus is clearly on improving the communities in which they operate, not just providing a successful taxi service. This mindset is undoubtedly one of the main driving forces behind the company's success. Similarly, Moonlight will take the approach of improving safety in the communities in which it is present. Initially the app will focus mostly on connecting members of the community to increase safety and mitigate potentially unsafe situations. However, it is critical to the success of Moonlight as a company that mindset be focused towards always improving community safety through whatever means possible, not just constrained to providing a successful app based service. That being said, the remainder of this document will focus specifically on functionality, security, and trust critical to the initial success of Moonlight as a mobile application.
https://www.uber.com/en-AU/drive/safety/Uber places a great amount of importance not only onto the rider's safety, but also the safety of the drivers. A number of security/safety mechanisms have been developed to ensure diver safety during every stage of the Uber process (before, during, and after the trip).
Before the Trip
- No anonymous pickups: all riders are required to create an account and provide their name and phone number as a minimum before they are able to request a ride. They are also able to link social accounts and provide a profile picture of themselves. This way, when a driver is picking up a rider they will know who they are and so will Uber.
- Substitute phone numbers: in many of the locations in which Uber operates around the world they utilize technology that anonymizes rider and driver phone numbers so that they are able to call and message each other while keeping their personal information private.
During the Trip
- In-app navigation: the Uber app automates the navigation system. When a rider initially orders an Uber they set the destination, once they are picked up by a driver the Uber app automatically provides turn by turn navigation so that drivers can focus on reaching the destination safely.
- Always on the map: GPS data from both the driver and rider's mobile devices is logged so that Uber knows who the driver and riders are and where they are going. This promotes accountability and encourages good behaviour.
After the Trip
- Automated payments: once a trip is completed, the fare is charged to the rider's selected method of payment (e.g. PayPal), removing both the need to carry cash, and the potential dangers that are associated with it.
Rider safety is one of Uber's top concerns. To ensure that all riders are safe, a number of security features have been designed to ensure that everyone is kept safe during every phase of the service.
Before the Trip
- Safe pick-ups: the Uber app automatically finds your location to provide door to door service. Meaning the riders are kept safe wherever they are until their driver arrives.
- Open to everyone, everywhere: all ride requests are blindly matched with the closest available driver. So there is no discrimination based on race, gender or destination.
- Driver profiles: when riders are matched with a driver, they are provided with the driver's name, license plate number, photo and rating - so that they know who's picking them up ahead of time. Furthermore, riders are able to contact the driver after the trip if they have left something behind.
During the Trip
- Share ETA: once a rider has been picked up, they have the option to share their ETA with friends and family so they can follow the route and know when to expect their arrival.
- Always on the map: riders can follow their trip in real-time so they always know where they are.
After the Trip
- Anonymous feedback: after every trip, riders are given the opportunity to rate the driver and provide anonymous feedback about the ride. Uber reviews all feedback to ensure their goal of making every ride a great experience is achieved.
- 24/7 support: the Uber support team is available 24/7 to respond to any questions that riders may have about their trip and to help the retrieve any lost items.
- Rapid response: Uber's specially-trained response team is available around the clock to handle any urgent concerns.
- Respect each other
- Give riders and drivers some personal space
- Safety first
- Children must be supervised
- Feedback makes us all better
- User profiles: all users will be required to include their name, phone number, and a profile picture at a minimum. This will increase security and also enable users to feel more comfortable with those they meet through the app with the removal of anonymity.
- In app navigation: both those helping and those receiving help will be provided with in app navigation. This will help them to easily find each other while also collecting GPS data in the Moonlight database as an added security measure. This will act as a deterrent to those who might seek to misuse the app, and in the event that something does go wrong, the information is available to rectify the issue.
- Safe pick-ups: the Moonlight app will require the person offering to help to travel to the location of the person who has requested help. This will mean that they are kept safely where they are until help arrives.
- Open to everyone: the Moonlight will be available to anyone who would seek to use it. The only requirement is a smartphone with the ability to run the app.
- Share ETA/always on the map: the ability to share your ETA or in Moonlight's case, estimate time of completion, and current position is undoubtedly an important and useful security feature. While we will not seek to implement this functionality in the initial prototypes, it is a feature that will be explored and most likely implemented in future iterations.
- Rapid response: in the event of an urgent situation occurring, users will have the ability to use the emergency function, which will alert all registered users in the area of the persons situation and their location. This will mean they are able to come and help at the touch of a button.
Features
- Identification: guests and hosts have the ability to scan and connect a government ID to their Airbnb accounts.
- Profiles & Reviews: hosts are able to distinguish themselves from the rest by providing detailed, well written profiles and receiving positive, verified reviews.
- In-App Messaging: users can initially can only contact each other through the Airbnb messaging service. This enables them to ensure that users don't use their platform to find accommodation and then contact the host directly in order to avoid commission. It also ensures that all communication is on file with Airbnb if their is a dispute.
- Secure payment platform: all payments are handled through Airbnb's payment platform. Guests pay through Airbnb when they book a listing. Hosts receive payment 24 hours after a guest has checked in.
- Hosts are covered by insurance: Airbnb protects its hosts with a Host Guarantee of up to $1,000,000 AUD.
- 24/7 support: world class support is offered around the clock, anywhere in the world.
Findings
- Focus isn't on users trusting the company, but on trusting each other
- "Design" as the mutual friend
- AirBnB as a facilitator of social interactions
- First impressions are important (more than half of AirBnB customers are first time users at any one time)
- Users place emphasis on host photos when evaluating how trustworthy accommodation is.
- Users place more weight behind a hosts profile picture, than the ratings of the accommodation.
- Profile photos are increasingly the deciding factor, when review scores for accommodation options are similar.
- "Trustworthiness" of photos directly relates to prices of accommodation and likelihood of being chosen.
- Users are more likely to trust based on reviews, rather than social biases, even when demographic similarities are a factor.
- Identification: similar to Uber, users must create a profile with their basic information. However AirBnB allows for users to upload a government issued ID. This is a substantial addition in terms of security and trust, as government ID is extremely difficult to forge. The presence of a government ID on a profile will likely give users much more confidence and trust towards people who include them.
- AirBnB as a facilitator of social interactions: this is the same task that is faced by Moonlight. By orientating Moonlight to be a facilitator of social interaction, the focus will be on improving interactions between users and ensuring the platform is successful by providing successful interactions.
- Reviews: these have been found to be one of the most influential determinants as to whether a host is chosen, and will likely be the same with the Moonlight app. Moonlight will face the added challenge of ensuring the reviews represent an objective view of the helpers performance, rather than one tainted by personal bias.
Features
- Insurance: AirTask insurance provides covers for the AirTasker worker whilst performing certain activities for liability to third parties for personal or property damage.
- Customer support: a comprehensive help centre is provided for users to search for any help required, with a customer support team available to those users who remain stuck.
- Ratings and reviews: AirTaskers are reviewed on their performance after each service to ensure that users can select the right person for their job.
- Communication: AirTasker provides an in-app messaging service to facilitate communication between users. Also included is the ability to make private phone calls through the app.
- AirTasker Pay: a secure way to pay via the use of the AirTasker system. Once a job is selected the funds are transferred into a holding account which is then passed along to the AirTasker Worker, once the job is complete.
- Insurance: public liability insurance may be required depending on the nature of help being rendered by/to users. This is a factor that will be considered in more depth later in the design process.
- Communication: communication is facilitated through the app, this ensures personal information is kept secure and users cannot contact each other once a service is rendered unless they provide their contact information. Moonlight will incorporate similar functionality, as it is important all communication is recorded for dispute resolution and to keep users information safe
UQ Properties and Facilities maintains an online repository of safety tips and resources. https://www.pf.uq.edu.au/maps/security/01PedestrianPaths.pdf
UQ Security has predefined, recommended pedestrian paths to be used in darkness. https://www.pf.uq.edu.au/unisafe/bus.html
UQ offers the service of a safety shuttle bus that transports between set locations during darkness. https://www.pf.uq.edu.au/unisafe/escorts.html
UQ does offer security escorts to public transport or a vehicle during darkness. Trust as a term came into widespread usage in 1560, defined as an attitude that we have towards others we hope will be trustworthy [1], with trustworthiness being a property expressed by certain people. The definition of trustworthiness varies, from being worthy of confidence or dependable [2], to the quality of always being good, honest, sincere or otherwise [3].
For the purpose of our product, we are concerned particularly with what makes people trust others. Trust can be unconscious or conscious (tactic) [4], but regardless of the nature there are four elements required for trusting. Trust requires that the trustor be vulnerable to the trustee, that the trustor thinks well of the trustee in some domain, that the trustor is optimistic the trustee is competent in some respect, and that the trustor is optimistic the trustee will have a certain motive for acting [1].
The first difficulty in establishing trust with unknown parties is the trustee must accept a certain level of risk [5]. In addition, checks and balances imposed by the trustee that seek to limit their exposure to risk do not increase their ability to trust others, instead reducing the trust between the trustor and trustee [6]. As such, any proposed solution would require a means to impose restrictions that did not undermine the fundamental requirements of trust.
This first requirement can be addressed quite simply when one considers the difference between trust and safety. Safety is defined as “the condition of being safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury, or loss” [7]. By promoting the safety of the application instead of the trustworthiness of the trustee, trust can be allowed to develop naturally, while still ensuring safe use. The incentives for using the application then promote people to accept this vulnerability, in turn establishing trust.
The key is the balance between the motivation to use the application, and people’s aversion to vulnerability, or risk. Risk aversion is a property observed in economics, where human behaviour leads decisions to be made favouring situations with a lower expected payoff, over a higher expected payoff as a result of the risk associated with the latter [8].
The military has performed extensive research on risk aversion in order to promote initiative. Several factors were found to encourage people to overcome risk aversion, the first being leading by example [9] which fits within the context of social learning theory [10].
This is promising for the application, as by ensuring the application is “safe”, human behaviour will naturally provide the first requirement of trust. Initially, those users who are less risk averse will use the application, as the motivation to use the application will outweigh their aversiveness. Over time, others who are more risk averse will observe this behaviour, causing the balance to shift towards use of the application, and in turn, the natural establishment of trust.
The next barrier to overcome in establishing natural trust is that the trustor thinks well of the trustee in some domain, and the trustor is optimistic the trustee is competent in some respect. This is easily provided by the application through its request response architecture.
The application will not provide request for help to those it does not feel will share fundamental values, and people will not respond to requests for help if they do not feel they will be able to competently complete them. This allows users to trust the competency of those responding to requests for help.
Finally, the requirement that the trustor expects the trustee to have a certain motive for acting. This is more difficult for the product, as ulterior motives of a malicious or non-malicious intent may exist. However, application policy can help to mitigate these motives, by providing strict guidelines on the behaviour of helpers, and penalising any reported breaches harshly. This ensures that the trustor’s perception of the trustees motive, whether it is correct or not, aligns with their expectations and will not be challenged by the trustee.
[1] Stanford University, "Trust," Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 03 08 2015. [Online]. Available: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/trust/#NatTruTru. [Accessed 28 08 2017].
[2] Merriam-Webster, "Definition of trustworthy," Merriam-Webster, [Online]. Available: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trustworthy. [Accessed 28 08 2017].
[3] Oxford University, "Trustworthiness," Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, [Online]. Available: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/trustworthiness?q=trustworthiness. [Accessed 28 08 2017].
[4] O. Lagerspetz, Trust: the tacit demand, Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998.
[5] L. C. Becker, "Trust as Noncognitive Security about Motives," Ethics, vol. 107, no. 1, pp. 43-61, 1996.
[6] P. Dasgupta, "Trust as a Commodity," Trust: Making and Breaking Cooperative Relations, pp. 49-72, 1988.
[7] Merriam-Webster, "Definition of safety," Merriam-Webster, [Online]. Available: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safety. [Accessed 28 08 2017].
[8] Harvard University, "Risk," Harvard University - The Bridge, [Online]. Available: https://cyber.harvard.edu/bridge/LawEconomics/risk.htm. [Accessed 28 08 2017].
[9] P. Maj. Lynn Marie Breckenridge, "Curbing the "Helicopter Commander"," Army University Press, 07 2017. [Online]. Available: http://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/July-August-2017/Breckenridge-Curbing-the-Helicopter-Commander/. [Accessed 28 08 2017].
[10] A. Bandura, "Social-Learning Theory Of Identificatory Processes," in Handbook of Socialization Theory and Research, Stanford, Stanford University, 1969, pp. 213-262.