Weekly Roundup: Uber Is Quietly Building a Rides Option for Kids Ages 10 to 12

Uber is quietly building a rides option for kids as young as 10. A hacking crew says it breached Uber Freight. Colorado’s new rideshare safety rules take effect. California Uber and Lyft drivers win union recognition for hundreds of thousands. Uber is backing a motorcycle lender in Latin America. We break it all down for you.

Uber Is Quietly Building a Rides Option for Kids Ages 10 to 12

Uber Is Quietly Building a Rides Option for Kids Ages 10 to 12
Image source: Uber Newsroom

SOURCE – Bloomberg

Code inside the latest Uber app points to a coming “tween” rides feature for children ages 10 to 12, which would push the company into its youngest customer group yet. Uber says it isn’t a live product, but the engineering work suggests it is under serious consideration.

  • The feature would let an adult add a tween to their Uber Family profile, name a trusted adult contact, and require that a grown-up be present at pickup or drop-off.
  • References in the code point to the same safeguards on Uber’s existing teen service: background-checked drivers, PIN verification, and ride tracking.
  • For drivers, it signals more supervised-minor trips ahead, which have already drawn ire. It would also put Uber head to head with services like HopSkipDrive that already arrange rides for young kids.

Uber Freight Investigates a Claimed Data Breach

Uber Freight Investigates a Claimed Data Breach
Image source: Uber Freight

SOURCE – TechCrunch

A hacking and extortion group called Helix says it broke into Uber Freight, the company’s logistics arm, and stole internal files. Uber Freight says there was no impact on operations and that its systems are running normally.

  • The hackers claim to have taken mailboxes, cloud storage, accounts-payable records, and dispatch documents; some files reviewed by TechCrunch appear to show customer email correspondence dated around mid-June.
  • Helix leans on voice phishing, calling IT help desks and posing as employees to get passwords reset, a low-tech tactic that keeps working.
  • Google, which tracks the group, says it has collected at least $10.6 million in ransom payments so far this year, a reminder of how exposed transportation and logistics firms have become.

Colorado’s Rideshare Safety Law Takes Effect as a Federal Bill Aims to Undo It

Colorado's Rideshare Safety Law Takes Effect as a Federal Bill Aims to Undo It
Image source: Andrew Patrick Photo/Pexels

SOURCE – 9News

New safety rules for Uber and Lyft riders started taking effect in Colorado this week, the result of a law pushed by a state lawmaker who says a rideshare driver sexually assaulted her in 2024. A federal amendment now moving through Congress could wipe out most of it.

  • Companies now have seven business days to review a driver for possible deactivation after certain complaints or serious felony allegations, and a human, not an algorithm, must make that call.
  • More rules arrive January 1, including more frequent background checks and tighter limits on account sharing; the requirements apply to every rideshare operator in the state, with phased deadlines for smaller ones.
  • The threat: an amendment to a federal transportation bill would narrow when rideshare companies can be held liable for driver conduct, which the law’s sponsor says would void most of Colorado’s protections.

California Uber and Lyft Drivers Win Union Recognition

California Uber and Lyft Drivers Win Union Recognition
Image source: California Gig Workers Union

SOURCE – CBS News

The California Gig Workers Union says it has cleared the threshold to represent Uber and Lyft drivers statewide, calling it one of the largest organizing wins in modern labor history. Certification is expected after a 30-day waiting period.

  • The milestone follows Assembly Bill 1340, the state law that requires rideshare companies to bargain with drivers’ unions in good faith.
  • Both Uber and Lyft said they will engage with the new union, framing AB 1340 as a compromise that adds representation while keeping the flexibility drivers say they value.
  • Organizers hope the win spreads; similar legislation has recently passed in Illinois and Massachusetts.

Uber Backs a Motorcycle Lender to Finance Gig Workers in Latin America

Uber Backs a Motorcycle Lender to Finance Gig Workers in Latin America
Image source: Tony Sebastian/Pexels

SOURCE – Reuters

Uber is investing in Galgo, a Latin American lender that finances motorcycle purchases, as it works to get more drivers and couriers into vehicles. The partnership starts in Mexico and expands to Chile and Colombia in early 2027.

  • Galgo targets mass-market borrowers, including people with limited access to traditional bank credit, exactly the workers who often struggle to finance a vehicle to start earning.
  • Financing terms weren’t disclosed; the money will also fund Galgo’s expansion into a fourth Latin American country and investment in technology and data.
  • The deal reflects Uber’s growing push into vehicle financing, with motorcycles central to low-cost transport and delivery across the region.

QUICK HITS

  • Australia’s Fair Work Commission issued a new minimum pay standards order for gig workers that will come into effect on August 17, where workers will be paid a minimum rate of AUS $31.30 (US $22.05) an hour and insured for injuries on the job. – The Guardian
  • Uber is partnering with Pony.ai for 2,000 robotaxis in Europe. – CNBC
  • Uber is selling off its entire stake in Serve Robotics. – TechCrunch
  • For more coverage of the autonomous-vehicle industry, subscribe to The Driverless Digest, Harry’s newsletter and podcast covering robotaxis and AVs.

Must Listen Or Watch RSG Content

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