Uber is quietly rolling out in-app video recording for drivers in India

Uber has quietly begun piloting in-app video recording for its drivers in India, TechCrunch has learned and confirmed with the company. The tool is meant to prevent bad behavior in a market where most drivers don’t use cameras, according to Uber.

Half a dozen Uber drivers in the Delhi-NCR region told TechCrunch that they sometimes face misbehavior from riders and, in some cases, are threatened with false complaints about their behavior — allegations that can lead to fines or even account suspensions.

“Even female passengers traveling late at night insist that we take the route they want instead of the one shown on the map. If we refuse, they threaten to file false complaints,” said a driver, who requested anonymity for fear of losing his account.

Drivers said the in-app video recording feature could help protect them in such situations by providing evidence when disputes arise. However, some questioned whether Uber would support them in cases involving riders, noting that passengers pay for the trip and can easily switch to competing platforms if they are dissatisfied.

The pilot, which began rolling out in phases in May, is now live in 10 cities across India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Jaipur and Lucknow, the company confirmed to TechCrunch.

Riders receive a notification during the ride when video recording is active.

“All recordings are double-encrypted, stored on the device and cannot be accessed by anyone – including Uber – unless a user chooses to share them as part of a security report,” an Uber spokesperson said, adding that recordings are automatically deleted after a week if not shared.

The video tool is based on Uber’s in-app audio recording feature, which launched in India in 2023. Video recording was first tested in the US in 2022 and is already available in Canada and Brazil.

As the pilot expands, Uber will have to balance the feature’s potential to defuse controversy with broader questions about privacy and surveillance in one of its prominent markets. It’s unclear when the video recording tool will roll out more widely, though the performance of the pilot in the coming months is likely to shape whether Uber expands it across India or other regions.