Since September 2018, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation has been collecting information about individual dockless vehicles such as scooters and electric bikes through a digital tool called MDS, or Mobility Data Specification. MDS information plays a pivotal role in shaping policy decisions such as where to place bike lanes and allows the city to standardize data collection among mobility companies. MDS also allows two-way communication of data between the city and the private mobility companies. At the same time, it is controversial, as many opposers such as the company Uber view MDS as a breach of privacy. For instance, there is the concern that law enforcement or hackers may access the data to track people. For the full article, click here.