Uber’s background check process has approved drivers with histories of violent felonies, leading to accusations of sexual assault against passengers, according to a New York Times investigation based on internal documents and court records.
The ride-hailing company promotes its screenings as essential for passenger safety, stating that all drivers pass checks for violent crimes. Applicants convicted in the U.S. of the “most serious” offenses — sexual assault, sex crimes involving minors, murder or homicide, kidnapping, or terrorism — at any point in their lifetime, are rejected.
However, the system permits convictions for many other offenses, including child abuse, robbery, assault, and stalking, if they occurred at least seven years ago in 22 states.
In 35 states, checks are limited to a person’s residence history over the past seven years, potentially missing crimes committed elsewhere. Over the years, Uber executives debated but declined to broaden the list of disqualifying offenses or extend lookback periods, prioritizing rapid driver onboarding and cost control.
“We are def not doing everything we can,” Brooke Anderson, then Uber’s head of safety communications, wrote in a 2018 email about the screenings, noting the company performed “more of a bare minimum.”
A brainstorming document listed potential safety enhancements, such as in-person interviews, deemed logistically challenging, and fingerprint checks, seen as costly and time-intensive.
Women who reported assaults during Uber rides claimed the vetting put them at risk, as detailed in lawsuits. From 2017 to 2024, Uber received reports of sexual assault or misconduct nearly every eight minutes on average in the U.S., per internal data from litigation — far exceeding public disclosures.
In 2020, a San Diego driver with felony assault convictions from 2002 and 2006 allegedly penetrated and choked a passenger. He had a pending rape arrest earlier that year, but arrests alone do not disqualify. He is now imprisoned for related convictions.
In 2021, a Tampa driver with eight felonies, including armed robbery in 2002, was accused of raping a 21-year-old passenger. In 2022, a Florida driver on parole for violent felonies faced sexual misconduct and rape allegations shortly after approval.
In March 2024, an Atlanta-area driver convicted of child abuse in a case involving sexual assault accusations allegedly groped and penetrated a passenger.
In December 2024, an Oregon driver with a 2012 felony assault conviction was accused of raping passenger Katilyn Woodworth, though acquitted at trial due to lack of proof on incapacity.
“You had all of the red flags,” Woodworth said, per The New York Times. “You had all of the information you needed to protect me.”
A 2017 Massachusetts audit banned over 8,000 ride-hailing drivers — 11% of those approved — under stricter rules.
Uber lobbied against tougher screenings, aligning with criminal justice reform groups and framing measures like fingerprinting as discriminatory. A 2015 internal strategy aimed to shift safety discussions from background checks to less costly initiatives, including polling riders on acceptance of formerly incarcerated drivers.
In one email exchange, executives debated upgrading to full residence history reviews, estimated at $16.8 million initially plus $15.2 million annually, but did not proceed.
“The reputation costs associated with not doing it far exceeds the dollar amount,” Jill Hazelbaker, Uber’s chief marketing officer, wrote, calling it “indefensible.”
Uber uses Checkr for screenings, customizing rules such as a seven-year lookback for most felonies. Hannah Nilles, Uber’s head of safety for the Americas, said the seven-year cutoff “strikes the right balance between protecting public safety and giving people with older criminal records a chance to work and rebuild their lives,” citing research on reoffending rates.
“A lifetime exclusion for every criminal offense would unfairly prevent people from finding jobs long after they’ve served their time,” she added, the Times reported.
Nilles called fingerprint checks “inaccurate, ineffective, and discriminatory” and in-person interviews bias-prone, disputing comparisons to roles like day care workers.
Competing ride-share company Lyft indefinitely bans violent felony convictions.
“They result in lifetime bans from our platform,” said Ameena Gill, Lyft’s vice president of safety and customer care, per the Times.
Still, some drivers with records have passed Lyft’s checks, including one accused of rape in 2019.
Both companies face thousands of assault lawsuits, although they maintain that 99.9% of rides are incident-free. Uber invests in annual rechecks and continuous monitoring, preventing 3.5 million from joining since 2017.
“We are confident when we say Uber is one of the safest ways to get around,” Nilles said.
Experts urge more scrutiny, like training on consent.
“They should hold their drivers to a high standard, knowing they are putting them in situations with vulnerable people who trust them and trust that Uber has checked them,” said Erin Murphy, a Boston prosecutor.
In a Tampa case, driver Anthony Oliveras-Rivera, cleared despite undetected felonies including armed home invasion, admitted to having sex with a passed-out passenger in 2021 and pleaded guilty to sexual battery, receiving 10 years. His record would bar him from driving a taxi locally.
“I felt like he took my soul away,” the passenger said.
Uber said in court that it bore no responsibility because the screenings complied with the law.
In a statement posted on the company website on Monday, Uber explained its “high level” screening process, which it says “focuses on three things: identity verification, driving safety, and criminal history. The company also claimed that its screening standards are “consistent with state laws, federal guidance, and long-established research.”
The company also said its background checks are as strict, or stricter, than those of “comparable transportation services,” citing taxi services in Honolulu, Chicago, and Boston, where the lookback period for convictions is 2, 3, and 5 years, respectively.
