Uber has quietly begun piloting in-app video recording for its drivers in India, TechCrunch has discovered and confirmed with the corporate. The software is supposed to discourage misconduct in a market the place most drivers don’t use dashcams, based on Uber.
Half a dozen Uber drivers within the Delhi–NCR area advised TechCrunch they often face misconduct from riders and, in some instances, are threatened with false complaints about their habits — allegations that may result in penalties and even account suspensions.
“Even feminine passengers touring late at evening insist that we comply with the route they need as an alternative of what’s proven on the map. If we refuse, they threaten to file false complaints,” stated one driver, who requested anonymity out of concern of dropping his account.
Drivers stated the in-app video recording characteristic may assist shield them in such conditions by offering proof when disputes come up. Nonetheless, some questioned whether or not Uber would again them in instances involving riders, noting that passengers pay for the journey and might simply swap to competing platforms if dissatisfied.
The pilot, which started rolling out in phases in Might, is now stay in 10 cities throughout India, together with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Lucknow, the corporate confirmed to TechCrunch.
Riders obtain an in-trip notification when video recording is lively.
“All recordings are double-encrypted, saved on the system, and can’t be accessed by anybody — together with Uber — except a person chooses to share them as a part of a security report,” an Uber spokesperson stated, including that the recordings are routinely deleted after per week if they don’t seem to be shared.
Techcrunch occasion
San Francisco
|
October 13-15, 2026
The video software builds on Uber’s in-app audio recording characteristic, which launched in India in 2023. Video recording was first examined within the U.S. in 2022 and is already obtainable in Canada and Brazil.
Because the pilot expands, Uber should steadiness the characteristic’s potential to defuse disputes with broader questions on privateness and surveillance in considered one of its outstanding markets. It’s unclear when the video recording software will likely be rolled out extra extensively, although the pilot’s efficiency within the coming months is more likely to form whether or not Uber extends it throughout India or to different areas.
