Most Californians Want Stricter Data Privacy, Still Undecided on Gig Worker Protections

Most California voters support stricter data privacy rules but are split on how best to deal with employment classification for gig workers, according to the results of a new poll commissioned by KQED.

When asked about tech companies potentially selling information collected about them, over half of those surveyed said they wanted to know more about how that information is being used and have greater control over what happens to it. The vast majority of respondents also said they expected their personal information to remain private.

But on the issue of whether gig workers, such as drivers for Lyft and Uber, should be treated as employees or independent contractors, respondents were less decisive, with nearly half saying they wanted to know where workers stand before weighing in.

The online survey of 5,335 likely California voters was conducted from Sept. 12-15 by Bay Area-based polling firm Change Research, in partnership with KQED’s Political Breakdown team. The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.7%, also included questions about Democratic presidential primary candidates.

The poll comes as California prepares to implement two landmark piece of legislation, both set to go into effect in 2020, and both of which have been vehemently opposed by the tech industry.

The California Consumer Privacy Act, the state’s sweeping  new data privacy law approved in 2018, gives internet users much greater control over the personal information that companies collect about them.

AB 5, meanwhile, which was approved by lawmakers earlier this month and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will force many companies — including those in the gig economy — to treat their workers as employees rather than independent contractors, allowing them to receive workplace protections like minimum wage, overtime and workers’ compensation.

The poll found that 23% of respondents would oppose any proposal that gig companies put on the 2020 ballot — as Uber, Lyft and DoorDash are preparing to do — that would allow them to retain their workers as independent contractors.

The survey also sought to gauge Californians’ opinions about four major Bay Area-based tech companies: Google, Lyft, Uber and Facebook.

Google fared the best, with a net positive rating of +8, while Facebook was, by far, the least favorable of the four, with a net negative rating of -16. Lyft, meanwhile, had a significantly higher rating than its main competitor Uber.

“It’s clear that Californians want to hit the reset button on their relationship with Big Tech,” said Pat Reilly, co-founder of Change Research. “Californians want public engagement about what’s fair for workers and gig companies — the question is whether it’s through executive action or the ballot. Either way, it’s the beginning of the story and not the end.”

Change Research will conduct additional polls monthly through the March 2020 primary, and KQED will publish the results of each one. Read more about the polling process here.