Uber is delighted to be supporting the Mental Health & Policing conference 2021.

 

We are committed to safety throughout all aspects of the business and this extends to the protection of vulnerable people including those with mental ill-health.

 

Understandably the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the vulnerable and we’re proud to have been able to support organisations such as Age UK and Hestia during these difficult times.

 

We believe that ride-sharing apps like Uber can help the public to both feel and be safe.  As the largest private hire operator in the UK, Uber is rightly held to high safety standards. Our primary responsibility is to make sure that every journey booked using the Uber app is as safe as it possibly can be for the rider, the driver, and the general public. We take this responsibility seriously and are constantly striving to see what more we can do to reduce the risk of serious incidents occurring on our platform.

 

Uber doesn’t just use technology to improve the quality of pre-ride checks. Our most visible safety features, particularly for riders, take place on a trip. They span a variety of functions and address a range of different safety issues riders and drivers could face. 

 

People using Uber today can share their trip to keep their friends or relatives updated on their location and use verification passcodes on their phones to ensure they are getting into the right vehicle.  In the unlikely event that it is needed users can instantly access emergency services via the app.

 

We have developed industry-leading processes with Law Enforcement agencies across the UK and these relationships have played an important role not just in helping tackle crime but to help keep the general public safe. 

 

We work with the National County Lines Coordination Centre and UK Home Office to help tackle County Lines drugs and human trafficking.  We also work with the Modern Slavery Police Transformation Unit and have partnered with The Salvation Army and Unseen UK to spot the signs of modern slavery and how drivers can help.

 

Police can submit data requests via our Public Safety Response Portal which are picked up and dealt with by our dedicated Law Enforcement Response Team (LERT).  Our 24/7 team assesses and responds to every data request from the police in line with our legal and regulatory obligations, including all applicable privacy laws, and in accordance with our global data sharing policy.

 

The nature of our platform means that users entrust Uber with their important personal data. We value this trust, and are committed to safeguarding all data we hold and respecting users’ privacy through following our Privacy Principles.  However, at times we are required to share personal data with relevant authorities to protect public safety, most notably the police, who have the legal power to request or compel data from us.

 

To help us balance these safety requirements with user privacy, we work closely with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to ensure that Uber handles personal data safely.