Uber’s driver screening is a mess, and it’s putting riders in danger

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Uber is under new fire for the way it screens (or… doesn’t screen) its drivers—especially when it comes to sexual assault and violent crime.

Uber touts its background checks as “comprehensive,” but investigations and lawsuits keep poking holes in that claim.

While the company says convictions for the worst offenses—like homicide and sexual assault, are supposed to be an automatic dealbreaker, the fine print gets wobbly fast.

According to the New York Times, in 22 states, Uber’s own records show it’s possible for people convicted of things like child abuse, assault, and even stalking to still get behind the wheel.

And yes, that means some riders climbed into cars with drivers who should have sent up a thousand red flags.

How the Screening Sausage Is Really Made

Uber’s process relies heavily on a third-party service called Checkr and regular criminal history checks.

In theory, new crimes should trigger an alert and knock a driver off the app. In practice? Plenty of loopholes.

Some offenses only bar drivers temporarily. Other background checks miss convictions entirely, thanks to state-by-state quirks in the law.

Uber admitted to customizing the rules Checkr uses, making it possible for drivers with certain criminal records to slip through.

Lawsuits, Legislation, and What’s Next

California officials, not known for being shy about Big Tech crackdowns, point out that the risk of rape, sexual assault, and other misconduct by rideshare drivers “is a significant danger to the public” (oag.ca.gov).

Congress is circling, too, grilling Uber about how it plans to actually protect people who place trust in its service.

As Uber points fingers at regulators and touts its apps’ safety toolkits, sexual assault survivors and their advocates aren’t buying the spin.

The bottom line? For all Uber’s glossy promises about safety, the gap between policy on paper and reality on the street keeps swallowing up real people—and that gap isn’t closing fast enough.

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com.