Uber Lets Parents Watch Teen Rides Live

Uber said Tuesday it will let parents and guardians watch a live video stream of their teenager's ride, using the camera on the driver's own phone.

The feature is optional, runs only while the trip is active, and shuts off automatically when the ride ends.

Uber said the tool is already live in nine markets — including Atlanta, Cleveland and Rhode Island — and will roll out across the entire United States over the coming weeks.

How It Works

The video feed comes from the selfie camera on the phone of a driver who has opted in to accept underage passengers, according to The Verge. Those drivers are asked to give parents brief access to that camera.

If the driver approves, the parent or guardian linked to the teen's account gets a push notification that live video is available. If the adult tunes in, both the teen and the driver are notified.

Only the linked parent or guardian account can view the stream, Uber said. TechCrunch reported there is no opt-out for other people riding along with the teen, who would also appear on the feed.

Uber said the video is encrypted and that once the trip ends, no one — not the driver, the teen, the parent or the guardian — can get to it.