The Peru Gazette

Rideshare Company Faces Wave of Sexual Assault Allegations and Lawsuits

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli has filed a shareholder proposal, on behalf of The New York State Common Retirement Fund*, that calls on Uber to publish a report explaining how it is addressing incidents of riders being sexually harassed and assaulted.

“For Uber to succeed, its users need to feel safe and not have a shred of doubt about using the service,” DiNapoli said. “The company should increase transparency about what it’s doing to protect riders from these horrifying incidents. Being open about the steps it’s taking is key to restoring customers’ trust and protecting the company’s reputation and value.”

As DiNapoli’s shareholder proposal details, published reports have revealed that Uber received a report of sexual assault or misconduct in the U.S. nearly every eight minutes from 2017 to 2022, or more than 400,000 reported incidents.

The unprecedented wave of reported incidents has led to thousands of individual cases in state and federal courts alleging Uber did not have safety measures to protect riders against sexual misconduct. It has also spurred investigations by the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology and Government Innovation and the Attorney General of New Jersey.

* The state’s pension fund holds shares in Uber with an approximate value of $240 million.

Shareholder Proposal
NYS Common Retirement Fund Shareholder Proposal at Uber Technologies