Uber Underreported Sexual Misconduct; 400,000+ Cases Revealed

Between 2017 and 2022, Uber received over 400,000 reports of sexual assault or misconduct in the US, far exceeding the 12,522 serious cases the company publicly disclosed. Sealed court documents unsealed during large-scale litigation, along with employee interviews, reveal Uber was aware of the problem’s scale but delayed or shelved safety measures due to financial, legal, and business model concerns. Measures like pairing female passengers with female drivers and installing in-car cameras were not fully implemented, and women-matching programs were avoided in the US over fears of political backlash after the 2016 election. Many safety features were not made mandatory, with Uber citing legal and privacy issues. Employees say assaults are likely underreported and follow predictable patterns, despite Uber’s claim that 99.9% of rides occur without incident. Uber asserts that recent data will show a decline in the most serious assaults, but critics argue the company prioritized financial interests over passenger safety.