A New York Times investigation uncovered systematic issues with sexual assault and misconduct by Uber drivers. Reports show over 400,000 incidents in the United States between 2017 and 2022 (averaging one report every eight minutes). This is far more than previously disclosed (12,522). Uber responded that 75% of these reports were of “less serious” incidents and that Uber had not been audited for incorrect or fraudulent reports. However, the investigation further revealed Uber somehow delayed or did not require “some of the most promising [safety] programs” they spent years studying and testing.
Business Takeaway: While this case may be an outlier, given the rather unique space Uber occupies in the marketplace, the NYT investigation underscores legal and reputational risks when safety protocols are deprioritized—particularly relating to known, documented threats—even if incidents are rare.