Uber is rolling out an update to its teen accounts feature that lets parents view live video from the selfie camera on their teenager's driver's phone during a ride, adding to existing safeguards such as PIN verification and live GPS tracking. The nationwide expansion, following trials in several markets, comes as Uber faces more than 4,000 active lawsuits in the US alleging sexual assault or misconduct by drivers, underlining persistent parental concerns about ridehail safety for young passengers.

Drivers who accept underage passengers must opt in and agree, on a trip-by-trip basis, to share brief selfie-camera access; the linked parent or guardian then gets a push notification when the feed is available, with both the teen and driver alerted when it is being viewed. The stream ends automatically once the trip finishes, and Uber says the video is encrypted so that no one, including the driver, teen or parent, can access it afterwards, with only the linked guardian able to view it live. The feature builds on Uber's existing optional "Record My Ride" tool, which lets drivers record trips for safety reporting purposes.