Uber has added a new audio recording function to its phone app in Canada, billed as an optional safety feature in case of an incident during a trip.
The company says Uber users can turn on audio recording in the Safety Toolkit section of the app. Once active, they will have the option to record audio during a trip by tapping the blue shield icon.
Riders and drivers will be able to take advantage of the new feature at any point during a ride.
Audio recording will automatically stop shortly after the ride ends, or users can start and stop it themselves.
“We are thrilled to launch this important safety feature across Canada,†said Michael van Hemmen, general manager of Uber Canada Mobility in a press release. “We’re always looking for ways to leverage our innovative technology to build features that help make Uber safer. We hope this audio recording feature will help give riders and drivers peace of mind by encouraging comfortable and positive interactions while on trips.â€
For those worried about Uber listening to your conversations while on a trip, the company says recordings will be stored in the app and nobody but you can hear them – including Uber itself – unless a safety incident is reported.
Uber users will be able to attach audio recordings to safety incident reports, at which point an Uber agent will be able to listen to them.
The company says the ability to record audio in the app was first launched in Latin America in 2019. Calgarians were the first in Canada to try it out in the form of a pilot program in 2022.
Uber says, “the majority of riders and drivers in these cities told us this feature helped them feel safer when using Uber.â€
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