Uber to record rider/driver audio in safety test in some parts of the world

In a new test to make sure that drivers and riders are more accountable, the Uber app may start recording audio of some rides in Mexico and Brazil.

According to documents obtained by the Washington Post, users in the two countries will begin to get notifications and emails letting them know that Uber is recording their ride.

To enable the feature, users need to opt-in through the app’s safety toolkit. Then at the end of a trip, riders will be asked how the ride went. If it didn’t go super smoothly then users can send the audio to Uber as proof.

Uber told Forbes that all recordings are encrypted and stay with the riders and drivers until they decide to submit them to the ride-share company.

While riders and drivers can both trigger recording, the app won’t notify the other party if one person starts a recording. This is to make sure that an already sketchy situation doesn’t escalate.

Uber has had issues in the past with drivers and riders who don’t listen to the rules and now it’s trying a new way to keep people in check.

Uber Canada says that this test is only happening in some parts of Latin America and there are no expansion plans as of yet.

Source: Forbes, Washington Post