Uber launches in-app video recording

The update, aimed at enhancing driver’s safety, will allow them to record and store video on their phones locally if they feel unsafe during a trip, said the company.

“The recording remains compliant with applicable laws, encrypted, meaning neither the driver nor Uber can access them  and is only accessible if the driver chooses to submit it as part of a safety report, ensuring strong privacy protections,” the company said in a release.

Addressing questions over rider privacy, Sooraj Nair, head of safety operations at Uber India and South Asia, said that the recordings are just a privacy feature and it won’t be accessible to either the company or the driver, unless it is reported as a proof of any incident.

“If the driver faces a safety issue, they will be able to attach the recording while reporting the incident. And when the driver explicitly does that, that’s when we get access to this recording, and can look at it, but unless they explicitly report it as a safety issue, we will not have access to the recording,” Nair said. 

“The recording gets automatically deleted in a seven day period, so if a report is not made, it gets deleted forever,” he added.

For people taking an Uber, there will be an intimation that the ride could be recorded, and they will have an option to decide whether to continue with the ride, Nair explained.

The company has also partnered with medical logistics provider Dial 4242 to integrate ambulance assistance directly within its platform.

The feature will allow riders and drivers to quickly request medical support following an accident during a trip on the platform. It will be available through Uber’s existing 24×7 Safety Line.

Introducing another safety measure, Uber said that it will restrict manual typing functionalities while the vehicle is in motion, urging drivers to pull over safely before responding to messages.

Additionally, the company will now also give riders the option to make their own ride PINs.