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In its IPO document filed on Thursday, Uber tackles a forthcoming report on the transparency of security that it is expected to release this year, which will include data on complaints of sexual assault and other security incidents on his platform. Uber warns that the report could have a negative impact on the reputation of the public company that will soon be created.
Uber first pledged to publish this report nearly a year ago in response to a CNN survey that had revealed that at least 103 Uber drivers to United States had been accused of having sexually assaulted or sexually abused their passengers over the past four years. The drivers were arrested, wanted by the police or were named in civil suits related to the incidents. It was the first time that figures were cleared up.
"Public responses to this transparency report or a similar public report on alleged security incidents on our platform … could lead to negative media coverage and increased regulatory scrutiny and could damage our reputation with users of the platform, "says the company in the repository.
Over the last two years, Uber has sought to overcome a series of scandals that have hurt society, including allegations of sexism and harassment, an overwhelming investigation into workplace culture, and the exodus of almost all customers. The company has since stabilized under new leadership. But the warning of the transparency report recalls that security concerns continue to threaten the Uber brand.
Uber said in its report that "the successful rehabilitation of our brand will largely depend on maintaining a good reputation" and "reducing the number of incidents related to security", as well as the Improvement of corporate culture and "ethical behavior".
After CNN started asking about sexual assault, Uber announced enhanced security measures in 2018, including a partnership with RapidSOS, a company that sends the rider's position and relevant information to a local police service when the latter uses the emergency button Uber application. . Uber has also revised its background check policy to conduct annual driver checks. Uber finally announced that it would remove a policy that previously forced victims of sexual assault complaints into arbitration and made them sign non-disclosure agreements.
Uber is currently facing lawsuits related to security issues in the country. Last month, he was sued for $ 10 million by a woman who claims to have been assaulted by an Uber driver in Washington, DC. Another appeal, also filed last month, accuses the company of misrepresenting its rides as safe. The lawsuit was filed by a woman who claims to have been sexually assaulted by a driver in Los Angeles when she ordered Uber to perform a trip of one and a half kilometers.
Uber continues to say that safety is its top priority, but critics say it has not done enough to adequately alert customers of the potential risks associated with its services.
A lawsuit related to a sexual assault filed this month by three Los Angeles-listed individuals like Jane Does addresses the phenomenon of "Uber fake drivers", in which individuals pretend to be Uber drivers in order to take and injure passengers. They argue that Uber became aware of the concept after five allegedly similar assaults in the area but never warned local users. The lawsuit followed news that Samantha Josephson, a student at the University of South Carolina, had been kidnapped and murdered when she boarded a vehicle she thought was her Uber at the end of March.
Upon filing, Uber addresses both sexual assault and charges against drivers, as well as impersonators of drivers, noting that he "could receive negative media coverage", which "would have a negative impact." about our brand, our reputation and our business. " (Conversely, Uber notes that drivers also face threats to workplace safety, for example, it explicitly mentions reports of driver violence in Latin America.)
The lack of transparency regarding the number of incidents involving drivers has been a hard point in the lawsuits against the company. They claimed that Uber was trying to hide the extent of the problem from its customers.
Lyft, Uber's main rival in the United States, is not immune from security concerns. CNN's investigation last April also revealed similar incidents of aggression on the Lyft platform and is trying to catch up on security features.
On Monday, Lyft published an article in a blog announcing that he was conducting ongoing criminal background checks to monitor daily criminal offenses committed by drivers. (Uber announced this update in July.)
Lyft also said that he was adding a "reinforced identity check" to help combat fraudulent drivers. Random drivers will be asked to take selfies or real-time photos of their faces, which will be compared to the approved driver's license that they previously used for the platform. Uber came out with a similar feature called "real-time identity verification" in 2017.
For both companies, the ability to better control security is essential. In his paper, Uber notes how much his future depends on it: he is unable to respond to reported security incidents "in a timely and acceptable manner," his ability to attract and retain customers of the platform "could suffer".
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