California DAs: Uber Background Checks Didn't Find Criminal Records

A pair of California district attorneys have alleged that Uber's background checks failed to find the criminal records of 25 drivers operating in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The claims have been added to a civil suit that was first filed in December by both cities' district attorneys. Uber is accused of continually misleading its customers about the level of background checks its drivers undergo. It is also being claimed that Uber representatives keep changing their details about the type of screening Uber performs.

One of the revolving complaints about Uber is its alleged failure to properly screen drivers, putting riders at risk. This concern has been punctuated by certain incidents, including a kidnapping, assault with a hammer, rape, and more.

In a statement, San Francisco district attorney George Gascon said, "Most of this complaint, these amendments, are coming as a result of additional discovery. In the discovery we are learning increasingly that a lot of the information that Uber has been presenting the consumer has been false and misleading."

Uber, not surprisingly, has pushed back against the latest claim. According to the New York Times, a spokesperson for the ridesharing company has stated that Uber's background checks are on par with Livescan, the method used by taxi companies to check driver backgrounds.

The spokesperson went on to say that neither its method or taxi company methods are "100 percent foolproof". The company took a further jab at the taxi industry, saying that some of its background checks of applicants identifying as taxi drivers have turned up results for everything from DUIs to rape and attempted murder that taxi companies allegedly failed to identify.

SOURCE: NYT