Uber, Lyft Sexual Assault Investigation: US Congress Wants Answers After CNN Report

Less than a month after a CNN investigation uncovered more than 100 sexual assault allegations against Uber drivers, several members of Congress on Monday are asking for more accountability from ridesharing tech companies. Nine lawmakers asked the companies for more information about how they track assault reports, keep records and train drivers.

First obtained by CNN, the letter was drafted by House Democrats Joe Crowley of New York and Lois Frankel of Florida. Aside from Uber, the letter also directly addressed ridesharing apps Lyft, Via, Curb and Juno.

“These reports are appalling, and we are horrified to think that our family, friends, and constituents may be subject to sexual assault while using your service,” the letter read. “As ridesharing becomes more ubiquitous, it should be in our shared interest to ensure these spaces are measured by the highest standards in safety.”

The letter asked the ridesharing companies to give more details on four aspects of how they handle sexual assault by its employees. First, it asked how customers can report incidents of assault and how those reports are reviewed by the companies. Then, it asked if companies like Uber and Lyft include sexual violence prevention training when bringing in new drivers.

It went on to ask the ridesharing companies if they keep records of drivers with accusations against them and if they alert other ridesharing companies if a driver is hit with an accusation. Some drivers are employed by multiple services at once.

The CNN investigation obtained police incident reports that found at least 103 sexual assault allegations against Uber drivers in the past four years. Many cases involved women who were drunk and traveling alone at the times of the alleged assaults.

In the aftermath of the investigation, Uber agreed to start publishing data on sexual crimes committed by its drivers. CNN had to sift through police reports in major American cities due to a lack of official statistics. The ridesharing giant also announced it would no longer require accusers to take their claims to arbitration out of court, as it had in the past.