TechCrunch has learned that Uber has quietly begun testing in-app video recording for drivers in India, and the company has confirmed this. Uber says the tool is aimed at deterring fraud in a market where most drivers don’t use dashcams.
Six Uber drivers in the Delhi-NCR region told TechCrunch that they sometimes face misconduct by passengers and, in some cases, are threatened with false complaints about their behavior, allegations that can lead to fines and account suspension.
“Even female passengers traveling late at night request to take their preferred route instead of the route shown on the map. If they refuse, they are threatened with filing a false complaint,” said one driver, who requested anonymity for fear of losing his account.
Drivers said the in-app video recording feature could help protect drivers in such situations by providing evidence in the event of a dispute. Still, some questioned whether Uber would support itself in a lawsuit involving its riders, noting that riders pay for their rides and can easily switch to a competing platform if they are dissatisfied.
The pilot, which began rolling out in phases in May, is now active in 10 cities across India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Jaipur and Lucknow, the company confirmed to TechCrunch.
Passengers will receive a notification during the ride when video recording is activated.
“All recordings are double-encrypted and stored on your device and cannot be accessed by anyone, including Uber, unless you choose to share them as part of a safety report,” an Uber spokesperson said, adding that recordings will be automatically deleted after a week if not shared.
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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 United States in 2022 and is already available in Canada and Brazil.
As the pilot expands, Uber will need to balance its potential ability to quell disputes with broader concerns about privacy and surveillance in one of its prominent markets. It’s unclear when the video recording tool will be more widely rolled out, but the results of the pilot over the next few months will likely determine whether Uber expands across India or to other regions.
