UBER HAS INTRODUCED a new feature to its app that allows passengers to record audio of their trip if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

The transport company announced the new safety feature in an email to users.

It said the option will allow passengers to record audio during a trip through a new ‘safety toolkit’ in its app “in case of an incident”. 

The audio will be encrypted and stored on the passenger’s device and neither they nor the driver will be able to listen to it. It can only be accessed by Uber if the passenger requests that the company’s safety support team review it. 

If the audio is not shared with the safety support team, the file will be automatically deleted after 14 days. If a passenger deletes the recording, Uber has no way to recover it.

Passengers can only share audio recordings with Uber after their trip ends. 

Once a trip has started, Uber drivers will not be notified that a recording is in progress.

Before they accept a trip, a driver will be notified that the passenger booking the trip has the audio recording feature on their app. The driver will be able to refuse the trip by clicking ‘Didn’t want to be recorded’ on their device. This will not impact the driver’s overall cancellation rate.

In a statement to The Journal, head of Uber Ireland Kieran Harte said that safety is a top priority for the company, and it is “always looking at ways technology can help riders feel safer and more supported on trips”.

“Audio recording gives riders additional peace of mind and helps encourage mutually respectful interactions on trips,” Harte said.

“Importantly, the feature has been designed with strong privacy protections in place, giving riders more control while helping support safety investigations if an incident is reported.”

Uber began operating in Ireland in 2014. As of June 2024, it had over 6,000 drivers working with the service.

Unlike in other countries, Uber operates strictly as a taxi dispatch app in Ireland, meaning drivers must hold a Small Public Service Vehicle taxi licence and operate a registered taxi or limousine.