A recent New York Times article reports that cabbie drivers in New York City have overcharged passengers millions of dollars by using an improper higher mileage rates. The city's Taxi and Limousine Commission used GPS systems recently installed in NYC taxis to determine the extent of overcharging and to identify culprits. These GPS systems were installed after a federal court judge decided in 2007 that taxi drivers did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy when they drove on public roads during working hours and that reasonable safeguards were being taken to protect the confidentiality of electronic data that was collected. According to news reports, he also presciently stated that "the value of the G.P.S. technology to customers would outweigh any privacy expectations on the part of drivers".

I wonder whether the California Public Utilities Commission will keep this story in mind when reviewing this case?