Waymo is presently the robotaxi chief in the US, and that standing has put the corporate’s autos within the crosshairs of vandals a number of instances during the last 12 months — most lately this previous weekend in Los Angeles. On the sidelines of TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana stated vandalism towards Waymo’s robotaxis is “not okay.”
“Clearly, vandalism is a criminal offense, so we’re very centered on working with regulation enforcement to ensure that we pursue the people who find themselves committing these crimes towards our fleet,” Mawakana informed TechCrunch. “It doesn’t matter whose fleet it’s. It’s not acceptable, it’s not okay, and so, damaging property? We’re not standing for it.”
Issues about privateness and surveillance have develop into a significant challenge in protests in the course of the second Trump administration, particularly as the federal government ramps up its deportation efforts. On the similar time, a broader public resistance to tech corporations — particularly these enabling surveillance — has resulted in a number of Waymo autos being broken and burned by vandals.
Throughout an interview on the primary stage Monday, Mawkana reiterated her earlier feedback that Waymo refuses authorities requests for the footage Waymo autos seize if these requests are “overly broad and illegal.”
When requested backstage what Waymo is doing to vary the notion of its autos, Mawakana pointed to the corporate’s push to place native artists’ designs on some automobiles as a part of a broader effort to “make the fleet extra part of the group.” However whereas Waymo usually pushes again on surveillance requests, she stated the corporate has to “proceed to work with first responders to assist us handle this problem” of vandalism.
“They don’t need it of their cities. It doesn’t maintain individuals secure. We don’t need it,” she stated.
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