Uber adds live driver selfie livestream so parents can watch teen rides

# What happened

# How it works

When a teen requests a ride, Uber can match them with drivers who have opted to accept teen passengers. If a driver has also agreed to provide brief access to their phone's selfie camera, a parent or guardian linked to the teen's account will receive a push notification when the live video becomes available. The teenager and the driver receive a notification when a parent starts watching.

The stream ends automatically when the ride ends. Uber keeps an encrypted recording of the livestream and deletes it after 14 days unless a safety report is filed. Uber says it can use a decryption key to access a recording to investigate incidents and may retain the recording longer under its data-retention rules. The company has not clarified whether the livestream is end-to-end encrypted.

# What this means for riders and drivers

• Parent visibility: Only parents or guardians whose accounts are linked to the teen's account can view the livestream.
• Driver opt-in: Drivers must opt in to accept teen passengers and to enable the selfie-camera access for parents.
• Other passengers: People traveling with the teen cannot opt out of appearing in the live video.
• Short-term retention: Uber retains an encrypted copy for 14 days by default, with longer retention tied to incident investigations.

# Where it's rolling out first

# Background on teen accounts

Uber introduced teen accounts in 2023. Those accounts allow parents to create a family profile, add a teen account, and monitor rides. Features already available for teen accounts include live updates for pickup and drop-off and matching with drivers who are screened annually and have higher ratings.

# Privacy and safety questions that remain

# Concise takeaways

Parents get a new, short-term way to check on teen rides in real time via the driver's front-facing phone camera. Drivers must opt in, teens and drivers are notified when someone watches, and recordings are stored encrypted for 14 days unless needed for an investigation. There is no opt-out for other passengers who may appear on camera during the ride.