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

Uber has quietly begun piloting in-app video recording for its drivers in India, TechCrunch has discovered and confirmed with the corporate. The device is supposed to discourage misconduct in a market the place most drivers don’t use dashcams, based on Uber.

Half a dozen Uber drivers within the Delhi–NCR area advised TechCrunch they generally face misconduct from riders and, in some instances, are threatened with false complaints about their conduct — allegations that may result in penalties and even account suspensions.

“Even female passengers traveling late at night insist that we follow the route they want instead of what’s shown on the map. If we refuse, they threaten to file false complaints,” stated one driver, who requested anonymity out of worry of dropping his account.

Drivers stated the in-app video recording function may assist defend them in such conditions by offering proof when disputes come up. Nonetheless, some questioned whether or not Uber would again them in instances involving riders, noting that passengers pay for the journey and might simply swap to competing platforms if dissatisfied.

The pilot, which started rolling out in phases in Might, is now stay in 10 cities throughout India, together with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Lucknow, the corporate confirmed to TechCrunch.

Riders obtain an in-trip notification when video recording is energetic.

“All recordings are double-encrypted, stored on the device, and cannot be accessed by anyone — including Uber — unless a user chooses to share them as part of a safety report,” an Uber spokesperson stated, including that the recordings are mechanically deleted after per week if they aren’t shared.

The video device builds on Uber’s in-app audio recording function, which launched in India in 2023. Video recording was first examined within the U.S. in 2022 and is already out there in Canada and Brazil.

Because the pilot expands, Uber should steadiness the function’s potential to defuse disputes with broader questions on privateness and surveillance in one in all its distinguished markets. It’s unclear when the video recording device might be rolled out extra broadly, although the pilot’s efficiency within the coming months is prone to form whether or not Uber extends it throughout India or to different areas.