Uber quietly pilots in-app video recording for drivers in India

Uber has softly begun piloting in-app video signaling for its drivers successful India, TechCrunch has learned and confirmed with the company. The instrumentality is meant to deter misconduct successful a marketplace wherever astir drivers bash not usage dashcams, according to Uber.

Half a twelve Uber drivers successful the Delhi–NCR portion told TechCrunch they sometimes look misconduct from riders and, successful immoderate cases, are threatened with mendacious complaints astir their behaviour — allegations that tin pb to penalties oregon adjacent relationship suspensions.

“Even pistillate passengers traveling precocious astatine nighttime importune that we travel the way they privation alternatively of what’s shown connected the map. If we refuse, they endanger to record mendacious complaints,” said 1 driver, who requested anonymity retired of fearfulness of losing his account.

Drivers said the in-app video signaling diagnostic could assistance support them successful specified situations by providing grounds erstwhile disputes arise. Still, immoderate questioned whether Uber would backmost them successful cases involving riders, noting that passengers wage for the travel and tin easy power to competing platforms if dissatisfied.

The pilot, which began rolling retired successful phases successful May, is present unrecorded successful 10 cities crossed India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Lucknow, the institution confirmed to TechCrunch.

Riders person an in-trip notification erstwhile video signaling is active.

Uber’s notification for in-app video recordingImage Credits:Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

“All recordings are double-encrypted, stored connected the device, and cannot beryllium accessed by anyone — including Uber — unless a idiosyncratic chooses to stock them arsenic portion of a information report,” an Uber spokesperson said, adding that the recordings are automatically deleted aft a week if they are not shared.

The video instrumentality builds connected Uber’s in-app audio signaling feature, which launched successful India successful 2023. Video signaling was first tested successful the U.S. successful 2022 and is already disposable successful Canada and Brazil.

As the aviator expands, Uber volition person to equilibrium the feature’s imaginable to defuse disputes with broader questions astir privateness and surveillance successful 1 of its salient markets. It is unclear erstwhile the video signaling instrumentality volition beryllium rolled retired much widely, though the pilot’s show successful the coming months is apt to signifier whether Uber extends it crossed India oregon to different regions.