As Uber states, the guardian will get a push notification when their kid enters the car, at which point they can enable a live feed from the driver’s selfie camera. (Parents can also ask the driver to adjust the backward-facing camera for a better look, which the average driver will no doubt add to their list of not-at-all annoying tasks as they try to make a living.) Uber also promises that all stored videos are encrypted and available only to the family involved before they’re deleted barring any reported incident.
As Americans are now apparently more or less acquiescent to mass surveillance of our every move at all times, this latest extension of the nanny cam model to teens’ paid transportation is unlikely to cause much outcry. Indeed, while Uber’s website touts its “99.9998 percent” safety record when it comes to trips “without a safety incident,” there are plenty of horrible stories of unsafe, sometimes predatory drivers out there, so parents’ concerns are understandable. (Uber and Lyft finally agreed to share their lists of drivers fired for sexual assault and other serious crimes in 2021—after various lawsuits.)
As for the teens in question, well, sorry, kids. The roster of sketchy tech gadgets your parents are using to spy on you in secret is only growing by the year, so sit back and try to relax knowing that mom and dad are watching your every backseat fidget.
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