Consumer Watchdog Urges Rideshare Passengers To Use Lyft After NYT Report Claims Uber Cleared Violent Felons To Drive

A leading consumer advocacy group, Consumer Watchdog is urging riders in a press release to stop using Uber following a New York Times investigation published today that found the company’s background check system routinely allowed drivers with violent criminal histories to transport passengers, including individuals previously convicted of assault, child abuse, and stalking.

The investigation revealed that Uber approves drivers with many felony convictions so long as those convictions are more than seven years old, a policy critics say prioritizes speed and cost over passenger safety. In contrast, Lyft permanently bans drivers convicted of violent felonies regardless of when those crimes occurred, according to the report.

Consumer Watchdog cited the investigation in calling on riders to switch platforms. “Passengers cannot trust Uber to adequately screen its drivers,” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. “Uber puts its profits above the safety of its passengers and does not deserve our business.”

The New York Times found that Uber’s background check criteria were deliberately limited to reduce onboarding delays and expenses, even as company executives internally acknowledged the system’s shortcomings. Internal documents and emails reviewed by the Times showed Uber leadership was aware that its screening process failed to capture serious prior convictions, especially when crimes occurred outside a driver’s recent residence history.

According to data disclosed in litigation and referenced by the Times, Uber received reports of sexual assault or sexual misconduct in the United States nearly every eight minutes on average between 2017 and 2024. Despite studying patterns of abuse and identifying risk factors, the company repeatedly declined to adopt stricter safety measures, including more comprehensive background checks, in-person interviews, or mandatory in-vehicle cameras.

The investigation detailed multiple cases in which passengers were sexually assaulted by Uber drivers who had extensive violent criminal records that did not disqualify them under the company’s rules. In one case, a San Diego woman with epilepsy said she relied on Uber because of its marketing claims about safety, only to be assaulted by a driver with prior felony convictions for assault with a deadly weapon. Similar cases were documented in Florida, Oregon, Georgia, and other states.

Former Uber executives told the Times that proposals to strengthen background checks were rejected due to cost concerns and fears they would slow driver recruitment. Jill Hazelbaker, Uber’s former chief marketing officer, reportedly described the decision not to adopt more thorough screenings as “indefensible,” warning that reputational harm would outweigh financial savings.

Consumer Watchdog has since launched a public awareness campaign, sponsoring billboards across California warning riders about Uber’s safety record and the company’s handling of sexual assault complaints.

The advocacy group also criticized Uber’s broader legislative and lobbying efforts, pointing to recent actions in California aimed at limiting the company’s legal exposure for injuries involving Uber vehicles and restricting accident victims’ access to legal representation.

“Uber is a company that has shown repeated disregard for basic safety norms and accountability,” Court said. “It deserves scrutiny, not trust.”