Overnight Tech: Uber receipts add up for 2016 candidates

LEDE: Leading presidential campaigns have spent a few thousand dollars on Uber rides in the 2016 cycle, according to campaign finance reports released this week. 

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) leads the pack with a total of $1,428 spent on the ride hailing app. Jeb Bush spent $1,396, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) spent $1,169, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) spent $937 during the same time period. 

Hillary Clinton’s campaign reported $219 in Uber receipts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) spent $128, Ben Carson reported a $13 ride, and Donald Trump spent $280 since recently announcing. Uber was not listed in a half dozen reports by other contenders. 

{mosads}The on-demand company and the broader sharing economy were the focus of a clash among candidates this week. Clinton sparked the debate by saying the new business model is pushing innovation but also raises hard questions about the treatment of workers. GOP candidates immediately pounced, with Bush making Uber the background in photo ops as he toured San Francisco on Thursday. 

While only counting toward a fraction of campaigns’ travel expenditures, Uber has become increasingly popular on the trail. The Center for Public Integrity recently found that campaigns and outside groups spent $278,000 on rides during the 2014 campaign cycle. 

UBER, BUT FOR POLITICAL STREETFIGHTS: Uber is using its app in the ongoing battle between the ride company and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Uber users in New York will now see a tab on the menu of different services offered by the company reading “de Blasio.” That tab yields a wait time of 25 minutes and the message “See what happens.” If they click that, riders are given the chance to sign a petition.

JEB BUSH APPARENTLY HAS A HIGH UBER RATING: That’s according to a driver interviewed by The New York Times who was part of a Bush photo op meant to show the former Florida governor’s interest in tech. Though the driver, Munir Algazaly, said he had “no idea” who Bush was when he picked him up, he said Bush was a “nice guy” and they talked about “the city, the traffic.” Bush aide Tim Miller said on Twitter he didn’t know his boss’ exact rating.

TOP TWITTER FLACK LEAVES FLOCK: Gabriel Stricker, who has been the chief communications officer at Twitter since 2012, is leaving the company. “You’re a true class act,” interim CEO Jack Dorsey said in a tweet.

PARENT HABITS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Pew Research is out with a new study about how parents interact on social media. The report found that 75 percent of people with children are on some form of social media. Facebook is by far the most popular with 74 percent of parents reporting using the site. About one in four parents report using other sites like, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter. 

FCC PACKS AUGUST SCHEDULE: Hours after wrapping up its July open meeting, the FCC released a packed schedule for August. The FCC will have to deal with some holdover spectrum items after some were delayed Thursday amid concerns. It will also take up a pair of items related to the use of wireless microphones. On top of that, the commission will consider two items related to consumer protections as landline phone companies transition away from copper lines. 

APPLE WORKERS GET CLASS ACTION STATUS: A federal Judge in California granted class action status to a group of Apple employees who filed suit in 2013 contesting a policy that required employees at Apple stores to submit to bag searches before leaving, according to Reuters. The precaution was meant to ensure the employees did not steal any merchandise. The employees want compensation for the time it took to search the bags. Late last year, the Supreme Court ruled against Amazon warehouse employees in a similar case. 

HOW HOTELS ARE FIGHTING AIRBNB IN THE STATES: The Center for Public Integrity documents the ways the hotel industry is fighting back against Airbnb’s aggressive play for the hospitality industry. That has included creating a “grassroots” organization called Neighbors for Overnight Oversight. They’ve also given generously to campaigns and have significant lobbying operations at statehouses around the country.

ON TAP: 

At noon, The Congressional Internet Caucus will hold a briefing titled, “Taylor Swift of Congress? Who has more power in the digital music streaming marketplace?”

Ajit Pai will be the keynote speaker at a Tech Freedom event in San Francisco at 8 p.m. ET.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 

Major tech executives sent a letter to House leadership on Thursday pressing for passage of a patent litigation reform bill. 

The Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to close 11 field offices, following a contentious debate with lawmakers on the issue.

The Senate now has competing bills aimed at restricting education companies from selling or using student data for targeted ads.

The Federal Communications Commission approved reforms Thursday to a program that critics say allows large corporations to take advantage of discounts intended for small businesses.

Google announced Thursday it was strengthening its “Google Patents” search to help in determining whether a new patent application is valid. 

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