Uber faces criticism for its handling of sexual assault reports, with a new report claiming the company received 400,181 trips reporting assaults in six years, far more than initially disclosed.
The New York Times says this is more prevalent than previously reported, citing sealed court records. Uber reported only 12,522 instances of sexual assault during the same period, excluding lesser incidents like masturbation or threats of violence.
In 2017, Uber had plans to launch a safety program that matched female passengers with female drivers but shelved it just days after Donald Trump’s election due to concerns about cultural backlash and potential lawsuits. The plan was revived last month in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit.
Uber has faced numerous criticism for its handling of these incidents. In 2023, a Houston woman reported being raped by her driver while intoxicated. An internal investigation found Uber failed to protect her, citing the company’s policy to only report the most serious categories of misconduct.
The ride-hailing giant has since made efforts to improve safety features, including GPS tracking and an emergency button that calls 911. However, some argue the company should do more to address these issues.
Despite efforts to increase transparency, Uber still faces scrutiny over its handling of these incidents. In a statement, director of safety in the Americas Hannah Nilles said the reports were “unaudited” but acknowledged they involved mostly non-physical misconduct.
Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/uber-trump-sexual-assault-problem-1235401835