Uber announced sweeping changes to its background checks on Friday after a New York Times investigation in December revealed how the ride-hailing giant’s policies allowed for drivers with many types of criminal convictions, including violent felonies.
Previously, the company had barred drivers convicted of murder, sexual assault, kidnapping and terrorism. But in 22 states, The Times found, the company had approved people convicted of most other crimes — including violent felonies, child abuse, assault and stalking — if the convictions were at least seven years old.
In multiple cases, Uber cleared drivers with violent felony convictions who were later accused of sexually assaulting passengers, The Times found.
The company now is expanding the list of criminal offenses that permanently disqualify a driver in the United States. Uber will bar drivers with prior convictions for violent felonies, crimes that are sexual in nature, as well as stalking and strangulation-related offenses — at any point in their lives.
Uber also is extending the time period for its background checks for all new drivers. Previously, background checks in 35 states were based on where a person had lived in the prior seven years. The result was that a crime that happened elsewhere could go unnoticed. Now they will be based on anywhere the driver has ever lived. Current drivers will undergo a new background check each year.
The changes also apply to couriers for Uber’s delivery services, such as Uber Eats.
In a blog post published Friday, Uber said that it had consulted with leaders in civil rights and women’s safety groups to update the company’s criminal background check policies to “better align with today’s expectations.”
“Our approach to safety has never been static,” the company said. “We listen to experts, regulators, lawmakers and our community, and we evolve as their expectations and the world change.”
Uber said it would make an exception for a group of about 2,000 longstanding drivers who had previous criminal convictions but had received no serious interpersonal safety complaints while driving for Uber. The company said those drivers would be allowed to continue working with Uber as long as the felony conviction was more than 15 years old and not sexual in nature.
“We believe this is the right thing to do for drivers who have rebuilt their lives and demonstrated good behavior on and off the Uber platform,” the company said.
Women who reported being sexually assaulted during Uber rides had said the company’s previous screening practices had put them in harm’s way. For example, in 2021, an Uber driver in Tampa, Fla., with eight felony convictions, including for robbery with a firearm, was reported to the police and accused of raping a passenger who had been out celebrating her 21st birthday. He later pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual battery and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Uber has maintained that it is one of the safest ways to get around, with more than 99.9 percent of trips occurring without a safety incident of any kind.
The changes come as Uber faces increased scrutiny over its safety record from lawmakers, investors and others.
Uber now is facing more than 3,000 lawsuits from passengers who said they were sexually assaulted during rides. The litigation has extended to the company’s leadership, with a shareholder lawsuit filed on Monday accusing Uber’s management and directors of serial compliance failures.
Earlier this year, lawmakers in Virginia passed stricter regulations for background checks, while lawmakers in Colorado passed legislation designed to increase protections for passengers and drivers of ride-hailing companies.
And in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Thursday that will implement new background check requirements. (A proposed ballot initiative to expand ride-hailing companies’ liability for sexual misconduct and assault had been planned for this November’s ballot, but it was pulled as part of the negotiations for the new law.)
Other Times investigations have revealed that 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. The Times also found that the company allowed many drivers with records of complaints to keep driving — until passengers accused them of serious sexual assault.
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