Uber is aiming to put parents in the front seat, letting them livestream their teens’ rides in its latest safety push.
The new feature, announced Tuesday, is part of Uber’s teen accounts program, which allows users aged 13 to 17 to request rides with a parent or guardian’s permission.
The video feed comes from the driver’s front-facing phone camera, which shows the backseat. When an eligible teen trip begins, the parent or guardian linked to the account receives a push notification if live video is available. The parent can then tap to watch the ride in real time.
Both the teen and driver are notified when a parent starts watching. The video is encrypted and available only to the linked parent or guardian, and the livestream automatically ends when the trip is over, Uber says. Neither parents nor drivers can go back and watch the footage after the ride ends. Uber said it will only review the encrypted recording as part of an investigation if a safety incident is reported.
The feature is currently being tested in nine U.S. markets, including Atlanta, Orlando, Phoenix and Rhode Island. Uber said it plans to expand live video nationwide in the coming weeks.
Drivers must opt in to enable the video feature, meaning parents will not necessarily have access to a livestream on every teen ride. Parents will only find out whether video is available once the trip begins, according to Uber.
The livestream builds on a series of safety features already included with teen accounts. Parents can track a teen’s trip in real time, receive ride notifications and use PIN verification to ensure the teen gets into the correct vehicle.
Teen riders are also matched with highly rated, experienced drivers, while Uber’s RideCheck system can alert parents to unusual events such as route deviations or unexpected stops.
Uber launched teen accounts in 2023. The program has since expanded to more than 50 countries and is now used for tens of millions of trips each year, according to the company.
“School. Practice. A friend’s house. Teens have places to be, and parents want to stay plugged in along the way,” Uber said in Tuesday’s news release.
In November, Uber gave parents the option to request women drivers for their teens, responding to a frequent request from families. In participating cities, teens and guardians can request a woman driver, including when booking a ride in advance.
