Popular taxi app introduces recording feature for passengers who feel unsafe
Uber announced the new safety feature in an email to its users, saying it was introduced “in case of an incident.”
A popular taxi app has introduced a new feature that allows Irish passengers who feel unsafe or uncomfortable to record audio of their trip.
Uber announced the new safety feature in an email to its users, saying it was introduced “in case of an incident.”
Should someone need to use the new “safety toolkit,” their audio will be encrypted and stored on the passenger’s device.
“Audio recording gives riders additional peace of mind and helps encourage mutually respectful interactions on trips,” Kieran Harte, head of Uber Ireland, told The Journal.
”The feature has been designed with strong privacy protections in place, giving riders more control while helping support safety investigations if an incident is reported,” he added.
The passenger and driver will not be able to listen to it, but it can be accessed if the Uber passenger requests that the safety team review it.
If the audio is not shared with the safety team, it will be deleted after 14 days.
If a passenger deletes the recording, it cannot be retrieved.
Passengers can only share their recordings with Uber once the trip has ended.
A driver will be notified if a passenger has audio recording enabled, and if they do not want to be recorded, they can refuse the trip.