Uber was rocked late last year by the allegation that a driver raped a female passenger in India. The company responded by promising to revamp its driver screening process in the country. Now it's updating an in-app panic button for users in India to beam real-time driver, passenger, and location information directly to local police.
Uber said today it’s tested the system in Kolkota and is in “advanced discussions” with authorities in multiple cities across India to integrate with the panic button, which also immediately places a call to police. The company expects to roll out the update widely in the coming weeks.
The addition of these improved safety features comes at a critical time for Uber as the company tries to secure its place in the largest market outside of the US in terms of number of cities covered. Last December, Delhi authorities banned Uber after the rape allegation, and protesters took to the streets to condemn the company. The case added new fuel to nationwide outrage over violence against women ignited by the 2013 gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old medical student. And it raised uncomfortable questions about the “sharing economy,” in which businesses like Uber and Airbnb must depend on strangers trusting each other in order to work.
This is hardly the first time Uber has found itself mired in controversy. But issues of safety and trust are deeply sown into how the service fundamentally works. Given Uber’s utility---and its deep pockets---it's likely here to stay in India and everywhere else. The question is whether the Uber's legendary push-button convenience can also work to improve the security of people using it.
