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It's Harder to Get an Uber or Lyft if You're Black, Study Finds

The study found that drivers are more likely to discriminate against passengers with "African American-sounding names"

Black people using Uber and Lyft can face longer wait times and other forms of racial profiling, according to a new study on the ride-sharing services reported on by NBC News.

The study, conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, found that drivers are more likely to discriminate against passengers with "African American-sounding names" than riders who appear white.

Researchers at MIT came to the conclusion after conducting more than 1,400 case studies in Seattle and Boston. They found that black passengers in Seattle could experience up to a 28 percent increase in wait times for Uber and Lyft, while a separate study in Boston found that black passengers were twice as likely to have an UberX ride canceled.

The study emphasizes that the observations are a result of individual drivers' choices, and not Uber or Lyft policies. Representatives for both companies argued against the study's findings Monday, referring to research showing the services as more likely to serve low-income communities than taxis.

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