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The
district attorneys of San Francisco and Los Angeles filed an
amended complaint against Uber Technologies Inc on Tuesday,
which said "systemic failures in Uber's background check
process" came to light after their initial December filing.
The new complaint said registered sex offenders, identity
thieves, burglars, a kidnapper and a convicted murderer had
passed the firm's screening process and were driving for the
company until they were cited for providing illegal rides.
"I support technological innovation. Innovation, however, does
not give companies a license to mislead consumers about issues
affecting their safety," San Francisco District Attorney George
Gascon said in a statement on Wednesday.
San Francisco-based Uber said in a statement its screening
system has been as effective, and at times more effective, than
a different system used by taxi companies.
"We continue to work on improving safety for riders and drivers
before, during and after the trip," it said.
The company added that last year it had rejected more than 600
people who had applied to become taxi and livery drivers in Los
Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco because they had been
convicted of violent and drunken driving crimes.
In the complaint filed in December, prosecutors contended that
Uber drivers work at airports without obtaining authorization
and have charged an extra $4 fee to passengers traveling there
without paying anything to the airport.
One of the fastest-growing sharing-economy companies, Uber
operates its ride-share program in 57 countries and has an
estimated value of more than $40 billion.
The firm has been fighting in courts elsewhere in the United
States. Earlier this month Uber won the dismissal of a
racketeering lawsuit brought by 15 Connecticut taxi and
limousine companies seeking to stop Uber from doing business in
the state.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner; Editing by Victoria Cavaliere and
Muralikumar Anantharaman)
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