Uber, Google, and the Orwellian future of taxi transportation

So why would the luxurious taxi company Uber hire former executives of Google and Facebook?

And why would Google Ventures sink $258 million into the San Francisco–based town-car company?

After all, Uber quietly shut down its Vancouver service last year on orders from the Passenger Transportation Board.

Maybe, just maybe, it's because the taxi industry has become another lucrative advertising opportunity for the high-tech giant.

Writing on a MediaPost blog, David Rodnitzky points out that Google's geotargeting could make it possible to carry messages in the areas where taxis operate.

According to Rodnitzky, cars connected to the Google empire could conceivably charge passengers fares depending on a skill-testing videos.

If they answer questions correctly about the in-car ads, the tariff could be reduced. But if they choose to ignore the Google ads, they would end up with a higher fare.

This would make a Google-connected taxi service an attractive proposition for many passengers.

And it's enough to cause the operators of Blacktop and Yellow cab companies to lose some sleep.

We've already seen what the Internet has done to the travel-agency, storefront-retail, and motion-picture industries. Who would have imagined that our local taxi companies could be next on the hit list?