CNN Investigation Finds Dozens Of Sexual Assault Allegations Against Uber Drivers

An extensive CNN investigation uncovered more than 100 accusations of sexual assault against Uber drivers, with the possibility of even more unreported cases. The report combed through police incident reports and court records from 20 U.S. cities, ultimately putting the number of verifiable accusations against Uber drivers at 103 over the past four years.

The reason CNN had to do all that work is that Uber, along with competitors like Lyft, does not release this data about its drivers publicly.

CNN’s report included multiple detailed stories from accusers, which are explicit and could be considered disturbing. With or without direct knowledge of what transpired during these cases, there are common threads that paint a picture of how Uber drivers can potentially take advantage of their female customers.

Victims tended to be drunk at the time of the incidents, as Uber in the past has actively encouraged people to use the service as an alternative to driving drunk after a night out. Some of the alleged assaults occurred in the victims’ homes, with the victims usually being petite women who lived alone, according to attorney Jeanne Christensen.

Of the 103 accusations that CNN could verify, 31 ended in convictions for the drivers. The crimes were not all the same, but included everything from forcible touching to rape. There are reportedly dozens of cases that are still pending.

Aside from those cases, police departments in major cities have received dozens of other complaints about drivers from not only Uber, but also from Lyft. Considering how often sexual assault is unreported or under-reported, the 103 cases at the center of this story may only scratch the surface.

For its part, Uber has made recent promises to police the behavior of its drivers through updated company guidelines, community forums and other measures. The ride-sharing company will also do annual background checks on its drivers, as well as adding a button to call 911 from within the app if a rider can sense danger.

Accusations of sexual crime by Uber drivers are not new, with several cases popping up over the years. However, CNN’s investigation put into stark relief just how common the problem could be for a company that has already faced accusations of systemic misogyny from within.