Uber’s business depends on a simple but fragile exchange of trust.A customer opens an app, confirms a name and license plate, and gets into a stranger’s car.This routine has become normal for millions of riders heading to airports, restaurants, offices, hotels, concerts, and home after nights out. But the entire transaction depends on whether customers feel comfortable with the person behind the wheel. If they don’t, the app’s convenience matters less.This is why Uber’s latest safety update is important, and it’s more than a business move aimed at protecting the company’s reputation and bottom line. Uber is tightening its U.S. background check standards for drivers and couriers as the ride-hailing giant faces thousands of lawsuits tied to alleged sexual assaults during rides and renewed scrutiny over how it screens people who work on its platform.Uber expands driver background checksUber shared June 26 that it is expanding the list of criminal convictions that permanently disqualify someone from driving or delivering on its platform.The company said convictions for all violent felonies and crimes that may be sexual in nature will now permanently disqualify someone from driving or delivering with Uber.Stalking and strangulation-related offenses, whether charged as misdemeanors or felonies, will also be disqualifying, regardless of when they occurred.More Travel:The wellness trend is breaking into the cruise worldUS puts out new warning about World Cup travel to CanadaAmerican Airlines to restart flight to banned destinationUber said some of the most serious convictions, including murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, and terrorism, were already indefinitely disqualifying.“Since the start of the year, we’ve been consulting with various subject matter experts, including leaders in civil rights and women’s safety, to explore how to update Uber’s criminal background check process in the United States to better align with today’s expectations,” reads the company press release.The company is also expanding its Social Security number trace to a 99-year, or lifetime, review for new drivers and couriers, as well as existing drivers during annual rescreening.That means Uber’s background check providers will search county-level records tied to a person’s full residence history, not just more recent addresses.Uber said it believes it is the only rideshare or delivery platform taking that additional step.The change applies to U.S. drivers and couriers, including those who deliver through Uber Eats. Screening requirements can still vary depending on state and local laws.The expanded list of disqualifying offenses addresses concerns over whether older violent convictions should keep people off the platform.The lifetime address search addresses another concern about whether a shorter review period could miss older records tied to places where a driver previously lived.Together, the changes are meant to give riders more confidence before they get into a car.
Uber expands background checks for driver and courier hires.Bloomberg / Getty Images
Uber faces pressure over rider safetyThe timing matters because Uber’s safety record has become a legal, reputational, and investor issue.The company faces more than 3,000 similar lawsuits consolidated in federal court from passengers who allege they were sexually assaulted by drivers, according to Reuters.More than 500 additional cases are pending in California state courts.In February, a federal jury in Phoenix ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million in compensatory damages to a woman who alleged sexual assault by an Uber driver in 2023.That case was the first bellwether trial in the broader litigation.Uber has said it plans to appeal. The company also noted that the jury rejected claims that Uber was negligent or that its safety systems were defective.Later in April, Uber faced yet another lawsuit by an anonymous plaintiff from Raleigh, North Carolina, alleging sexual misconduct by an Uber driver in 2019.These lawsuits have increased focus on driver screening, how Uber responds to complaints, whether the app should include stronger safety features, and the extent of Uber’s responsibility for drivers classified as independent contractors.Uber has also faced pressure from investors.A recent shareholder lawsuit accused Uber’s leadership and board of failing to adequately address safety and compliance risks tied to driver misconduct allegations, according to Reuters.Uber has pushed back on those claims, saying the lawsuit is based on misleading narratives and that the company has invested heavily in safety.For Uber, the stakes go beyond any single case.A ride-hailing company does not only compete on wait times, prices, and app design. It also competes on whether customers believe the service is safe enough to use repeatedly.Uber safety reports show the challengeUber has said serious safety incidents are rare compared with the total number of trips on its platform.But the company’s own safety reports show why the issue remains important for riders and investors.Uber reported 5,981 sexual assault incidents across its five most serious categories in 2017 and 2018.It reported 3,824 incidents in 2019 and 2020.In 2021 and 2022, it reported 2,717 incidents.Those figures refer to reported incidents, not court-proven cases.While the numbers have shown improvement over time, they also explain why safety remains one of Uber’s most sensitive issues.The company has built a massive transportation platform by making rides feel instant and predictable. A customer can see the driver’s location, route, rating, car model, and estimated arrival time.But safety concerns can weaken that feeling of control.That is especially true for customers traveling alone, late at night, in unfamiliar cities, or after events where they may not have another easy way home.Uber needs riders to keep choosing the appUber’s background check update also comes as the company pushes deeper into other transportation and delivery businesses.TheStreet has previously covered Uber’s moves in delivery, parking, air taxis, and autonomous vehicles.Those efforts show how much Uber wants to become a larger mobility and logistics platform, not just a ride-hailing app.But the company’s growth still depends on customer trust.If Uber wants riders to use its app more than its competitors, book higher-value trips, take airport rides, order food, and eventually accept autonomous or partner-operated services, it needs the brand to feel reliable.That is why background checks are not just an operational detail. They are part of the product.A stronger screening policy can help Uber tell riders, regulators, and investors that it is tightening the front door of its marketplace before problems happen.It also helps Uber tackle the growing competition from driverless vehicles, which riders feel are safer than human-driven vehicles.Still, the move has limits.A background check can flag past convictions and some pending charges. It cannot predict every future crime. It also depends on court records, local reporting systems, and state laws, which vary across the country.Uber has acknowledged that no background check process is perfect.The company is now betting that a stricter standard will help reassure riders without weakening the driver and courier network that powers its business.Uber needs enough drivers to keep rides available and wait times low. But it also needs customers to believe that the people allowed onto the platform have been carefully screened.Uber makes exception for some driversUber is also trying to balance rider safety with another difficult issue: what happens to drivers who have worked safely on the platform for years.The company said civil rights and safety organizations raised concerns during consultations that years of safe participation on Uber should be considered alongside past offenses when evaluating existing drivers.Uber also said some advocates warned that cutting off access to a stable source of income could increase the risk of recidivism.As a result, Uber said it is making a narrow exception for long-standing drivers who have no serious interpersonal safety-related complaints.Those drivers may continue earning with Uber if their felony conviction is more than 15 years old and was not a sexual offense.Uber said the exception currently applies to about 2,000 drivers nationwide as the changes continue rolling out.For now, Uber wants riders to know it is reviewing drivers’ histories more closely before allowing them to drive.Related: Another airline files for bankruptcy protection, cancels all flights