Frequently Asked Questions for Institutional Riders
Who are institutional users?
Institutional users are the employees, students, or staff of the institutions who partner with the transit agencies in order to provide ORCA cards. For example, Boeing will be offering an ORCA option to its employees. Likewise, the ORCA RFID smartchip will be embedded on all new University of Washington Husky cards in order to provide UPASS services (see http://hfs.washington.edu/husky_card/default.aspx?id=953).
What do I gain from having a "contactless smartcard"? What do I lose?
As mentioned in FAQ for Transit Users, ORCA users will enjoy greater convenience by having a single, contactless card that will grant access to the transit options in the Puget Sound region. As an institutional user, your pass may be cheaper because your institution will get them at a discount. There may also be added convenience, as the ORCA chip might be embedded on already existing forms of ID (e.g. Husky Card for UW or access card/employee badge for Boeing or Microsoft).
What travel information is being collected? Do I own this information?
Your travel information consists of all the transit options you use. For example, the trip identifier for the bus route of the bus you board and the time of that boarding. The transit agencies own this data and will use it to help decide, for example, how to alter bus routes and deal with demand.
The transit agencies are currently planning on releasing the travel information of institutional users to their parent institution (e.g. Boeing, UW). In fact, the transit agencies consider their institutional partners to be co-owners of the collected data. This means that information about your personal and professional trips will be provided to your institution if you have an ORCA-enabled card issued through an institutional partner.
How will my institution use my travel information? Who will have access? How long will it be stored for?
The answers to these questions vary for each organization. One possible use of the information would be your boss or HR representative checking your travel profile on your sick days. Another example is for institutions to use the travel information to detect fraudulent use (e.g. loaning the card to a spouse). Organizations use information collected by similar technologies in myriad ways (see for example http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9107/index1.html).
The length of data retention will also vary, depending on policy. Some may not use it at all, while others might use it for security or profiling purposes. Some will use the data at the time of collection and then discard it, while others will store it indefinitely. There are a number of data retention laws, however, that must be followed. It is likely that the data will stick around for at least 5 years.
The transit agencies are making my travel records available to my institutional provider, but what information about me is my institutional provider giving to the transit agencies?
This will vary from institution to institution. It is important to make sure that your institutional provider has clear policies about data given back to the transit agencies. For example, the University of Washington has explicitly stated that it will NOT share the names, student IDs, or other personal information with the transit agencies.
How can I help my institution be responsible with my information?
It is important to put pressure on your organization to have a very explicit policy regarding what information it obtains from the transit agencies, why and how it might be used, and how long it will be stored for. A clear statement of use is essential for preventing abuse. Over time, organizations tend to use the information for more and more uses beyond their initial purposes and so it is important to be aware of changes to the policy. Make sure to know where the information policy is defined and how you consent to it (e.g. consent form when signing up for Husky Card).
I have concerns about this program. Who should I contact?
We recommend you speak with your HR representative from your company, your university or union representative. You may also contact the ACLU, transit agencies or us.