An investigation by the New York Times has revealed significant gaps in Uber's driver background checks, potentially allowing individuals with serious criminal histories to operate on its platform. The report indicates that while Uber disqualifies those with convictions for murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, and terrorism, it can approve applicants with other offenses, such as child abuse and stalking, in 22 states as long as their convictions are over seven years old.
Furthermore, the investigation highlighted that in 35 states, the checks are primarily based on a driver's residency over the past seven years, which could lead to the omission of prior convictions from other areas. A 2017 audit in Massachusetts resulted in the removal of over 8,000 drivers, approximately 11 percent of those approved.
Uber's internal communications suggest a focus on reducing costs over enhancing safety measures, as demonstrated by a 2018 email from a former safety communications head describing their background check policy as merely "a bare minimum." Between 2017 and 2022, reports of sexual assault or misconduct were logged nearly every eight minutes in Uber's US operations, with the company asserting that 75 percent of these were categorized as "less serious" incidents.