Ahead of Protests, Waymo Scales Back Robotaxi Service Nationwide

Waymo will temporarily limit robotaxi work successful each of its nationwide markets, nan institution said Friday, arsenic US cities hole for a wave of protests of national migration policies and rule enforcement and subject crackdowns connected demonstrators. The Alphabet subsidiary will extremity work successful Los Angeles altogether.

Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp confirmed nan work region and adjustments but declined to remark further. There is nary denotation really agelong nan work changes will last.

The adjustments will impact work successful San Francisco; Austin, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Phoenix, Arizona. On Friday afternoon, immoderate San Francisco riders saw in-app messages showing that each of nan company’s robotaxis were busy, and truthful incapable to prime up rides.

The move comes a week aft protesters group occurrence to 5 autonomous taxis operated by nan institution successful downtown Los Angeles. Images of nan fires went viral connected societal media, and became a flashpoint successful discussions astir protester unit and nan domiciled tech plays successful national surveillance. The incident raised questions astir nan camera and sensor information collected by Waymo connected nationalist roads, and really aliases if it’s shared pinch rule enforcement. Earlier this week, Karp told WIRED that nan institution mostly challenges information requests that are overly wide aliases don’t person a sound ineligible basis. She declined to remark connected circumstantial cases.

Waymo sometimes adjusts work areas up of awesome events marked by ample crowds and traffic, including sports matches and concerts, and successful consequence to incidents for illustration fires aliases floods wherever roadworthy information is simply a concern.