Uber Expands Teen Safety with Live Driver Camera Access for Parents
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
Uber is rolling out a new feature that lets parents view live video from the selfie camera on a driver's phone during their teenage child's ride, expanding its existing teen account safety tools nationwide over the coming weeks after trials in several markets. Drivers who accept underage passengers will be asked to grant brief camera access, and if approved, the linked parent or guardian receives a push notification to view the feed, with both the teen and driver alerted when someone is watching. The move builds on protections Uber introduced since launching teen accounts in 2023, such as PIN verification and live GPS tracking, and comes as the company faces continued scrutiny over rider safety.
Uber says only the parent or guardian linked to a teen's account can access the live stream, which is encrypted and stops automatically once the trip ends, meaning no party retains a recording afterwards. The company states drivers must maintain strong ratings and clean safety records to qualify for teen trips, though it is currently contending with over 4,000 active sexual assault and misconduct lawsuits in the US, many involving alleged driver misconduct. Uber has separately offered an opt-in "Record My Ride" feature for drivers, though footage from that is only accessible to Uber if a driver submits it as part of a safety report.
- Uber lets parents watch live driver camera feeds during teen rides
- Feature rolls out nationwide after multi-market testing
- Comes amid over 4,000 active US assault lawsuits against Uber
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Uber first introduced separate "teen accounts" in 2023, allowing parents to book and monitor rides for children too young to have their own Uber profile. These accounts already include safeguards such as PIN verification for pickups and live GPS tracking, which lets a parent follow the journey on a map in real time.
The new feature adds live video access: during a teen's trip, a parent can briefly view footage from the front-facing camera on the driver's phone, giving a visual check alongside the existing location tracking. Uber, the driver and the teen passenger are all notified when this camera access is being used, and the company says the video is encrypted and not stored once the trip ends.
This update comes as ride-hailing firms face ongoing pressure over passenger safety, including numerous lawsuits in the US alleging misconduct by drivers. It matters because it touches on how tech companies balance surveillance and privacy with safety, particularly for younger, more vulnerable users, and how much reassurance such measures can realistically offer parents.
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