Uber quietly pilots in-app video recording for drivers in India | TechCrunch

Uber has quietly begun piloting in-app video recording for its drivers in India, TechCrunch has learned and confirmed with the company. The tool is meant to deter misconduct in a market where most drivers do not use dashcams, according to Uber.

Half a dozen Uber drivers in the Delhi–NCR region told TechCrunch they sometimes face misconduct from riders and, in some cases, are threatened with false complaints about their behavior — allegations that can lead to penalties or even account suspensions.

“Even female passengers traveling late at night insist that we follow the route they want instead of what’s shown on the map. If we refuse, they threaten to file false complaints,” said one driver, who requested anonymity out of fear of losing his account.

Drivers said the in-app video recording feature could help protect them in such situations by providing evidence when disputes arise. Still, some questioned whether Uber would back them in cases involving riders, noting that passengers pay for the trip and can easily switch to competing platforms if dissatisfied.

The pilot, which began rolling out in phases in May, is now live in 10 cities across India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Lucknow, the company confirmed to TechCrunch.

Riders receive an in-trip notification when video recording is active.

“All recordings are double-encrypted, stored on the device, and cannot be accessed by anyone — including Uber — unless a user chooses to share them as part of a safety report,” an Uber spokesperson said, adding that the recordings are automatically deleted after a week if they are not shared.

The video tool builds on Uber’s in-app audio recording feature, which launched in India in 2023. Video recording was first tested in the U.S. in 2022 and is already available in Canada and Brazil.

As the pilot expands, Uber will have to balance the feature’s potential to defuse disputes with broader questions about privacy and surveillance in one of its prominent markets. It is unclear when the video recording tool will be rolled out more widely, though the pilot’s performance in the coming months is likely to shape whether Uber extends it across India or to other regions.