Uber has quietly begun piloting in-app video recording for its drivers in India, TechCrunch has discovered and confirmed with the corporate. The device is supposed to discourage misconduct in a market the place most drivers don’t use dashcams, in response to Uber.

Half a dozen Uber drivers within the Delhi–NCR area informed TechCrunch they generally face misconduct from riders and, in some circumstances, are threatened with false complaints about their habits — allegations that may result in penalties and even account suspensions.

“Even feminine passengers touring late at evening insist that we observe the route they need as an alternative of what’s proven on the map. If we refuse, they threaten to file false complaints,” mentioned one driver, who requested anonymity out of worry of shedding his account.

Drivers mentioned the in-app video recording characteristic may assist defend them in such conditions by offering proof when disputes come up. Nonetheless, some questioned whether or not Uber would again them in circumstances involving riders, noting that passengers pay for the journey and may simply swap to competing platforms if dissatisfied.

The pilot, which started rolling out in phases in Could, is now reside in 10 cities throughout India, together with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Lucknow, the corporate confirmed to TechCrunch.

Riders obtain an in-trip notification when video recording is lively.

“All recordings are double-encrypted, saved on the gadget, and can’t be accessed by anybody — together with Uber — until a consumer chooses to share them as a part of a security report,” an Uber spokesperson mentioned, including that the recordings are robotically deleted after every week if they don’t seem to be shared.

The video device builds on Uber’s in-app audio recording characteristic, which launched in India in 2023. Video recording was first examined within the U.S. in 2022 and is already obtainable in Canada and Brazil.

Because the pilot expands, Uber should stability the characteristic’s potential to defuse disputes with broader questions on privateness and surveillance in one in all its distinguished markets. It’s unclear when the video recording device can be rolled out extra extensively, although the pilot’s efficiency within the coming months is more likely to form whether or not Uber extends it throughout India or to different areas.