Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following a recent announcement that Uber will allow minors to request rides and travel without an accompanying adult, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) called on ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft to take additional steps to prevent their services from being used to transport victims of human trafficking.
Reports from survivors, advocates, and local law enforcement agencies indicate that apps like Uber and Lyft are increasingly used as vehicles for exploitation.
In letters to the CEOs of both companies, the senators wrote, “we are concerned that the measures taken to date are insufficient to address trafficking on the company’s ride-hailing service.”
The bipartisan group of senators is seeking additional information about what steps each company is taking to combat trafficking on its app, including what kind of training and resources are available for drivers to recognize and respond to trafficking.
The text of the letter to Uber is available here. The text of the letter to Lyft is available here.