Uber Faces Growing Pressure over Sexual Assault Record

Summary

Uber faces mounting scrutiny across the country as lawmakers, investors and others move to hold the ride-hailing giant accountable for a pervasive pattern of sexual violence during rides.In California, a proposed ballot initiative would make ride-hailing companies legally responsible for sexual misconduct and assault against drivers and passengers. On Wall Street, the New York State comptroller is leading a shareholder push for Uber’s board to release a “transparency report” detailing its oversight of passenger safety.And in Washington, Representative Debbie Dingell of Michigan sent a letter to Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s chief executive, denouncing the company for prioritizing its “bottom line” over safety. Ms. Dingell, a Democrat, said in an interview that she wanted to hold a congressional hearing and explore legislation on the issue.All three actions cite New York Times reporting that found Uber received a report of sexual assault or sexual misconduct in the United States almost every eight minutes on average between 2017 and 2022 — far more than what the company has publicly disclosed. Uber executives have long been aware of the extensiveness of sexual violence, The Times found, yet they repeatedly prioritized expanding their business over introducing stronger protections.The Times also found that Uber’s background checks approved drivers with many types of criminal convictions, and that the company allowed many drivers with records of complaints to keep driving — until passengers accused them of serious sexual assault.“There is no trade-off that should be acceptable to Uber, considering the devastating impact of sexual assault,” Ms. Dingell said in the letter.Uber has said it is one of the safest ways to get around, with the vast majority of its trips in the United States — 99.9 percent — occurring without an incident of any kind.Matt Kallman, an Uber spokesman, said in a statement that the company had had “several constructive meetings” with Ms. Dingell and her...