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Under the proposal outlined in a regulatory
filing with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC),
the penalty would be reduced to $150,000, but Uber would pay $9
million to support a state victims' fund and help create
industry-wide safety and reporting standards.
"We've been able to find a path forward that preserves the
privacy and agency of sexual assault survivors," Tony West,
Uber's chief legal officer, said in a statement.
The CPUC fined Uber in December after the company refused to
share victims' detailed information, including full names and
contact information, arguing that doing so would violate their
right to privacy.
The dispute stems from a safety report Uber released in December
2019, disclosing 6,000 reports of sexual assault related to 2.3
billion trips in the United States in 2017 and 2018.
That report, aimed at ensuring drivers and the public that Uber
was serious about safety, has put the company in the spotlight.
Rival ride-hailing company Lyft Inc has promised a similar
report, but said it would await the conclusion of the CPUC
procedures before releasing its data.
The agreement proposed by Uber, a division of the CPUC and an
anti-sexual abuse group, would see Uber provide anonymized data
on past instances of assault to the agency.
Going forward, Uber will also provide anonymized data, but offer
individuals the ability to opt in to being contacted by the CPUC
when they report a claim. All ride-hail companies operating in
California, including Lyft, would have to comply with those
future data requests.
The agreement is subject to approval by an administrative judge
and the full commission.
(Reporting by Tina Bellon in Austin, Texas; Editing by Leslie
Adler)
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