Uber passengers can now record audio on journeys in Switzerland

Popular ride-hailing app Uber has launched a new feature in Switzerland to help passengers feel safer during rides. Travellers can now record audio during their journey and submit it to Uber if an incident occurs.

New Uber safety feature launches across Switzerland

Roll-out of a new safety feature for anyone taking an Uber in Switzerland has already begun. The new feature gives passengers the option to record audio during a journey from within the app’s safety centre. Once the ride has ended, the user can choose to share the recording with Uber if an incident has happened that made them feel unsafe.

With the new feature, drivers will be notified if a passenger has turned it on before being picked up and can decline the ride.

An Uber press release focused heavily on explaining the data and privacy protection measures taken. For example, audio recordings will be “encrypted and securely stored directly on the passenger’s smartphone”, and Uber can access them only if a security report is submitted by the passenger.

Recording audio adds to Uber’s safety features

The new safety feature comes to Switzerland after an Uber driver was found guilty of sexually assaulting three women in Zurich in 2024, according to Blick. Passenger safety is frequently discussed internationally, too. The New York Times reported that between 2017 and 2022, Uber allegedly received almost one report of misconduct or sexual assault every eight minutes.

General Manager of Uber Switzerland Jean-Pascal Aribot explains that safety is a key priority. "That’s why we’re constantly looking for ways technology can help passengers feel safer and better supported on their journeys. Whether you’re heading home after dinner with friends, leaving work late at night, or travelling alone, the audio recording feature directly in the Uber app provides added security," explains Aribot.

Other safety features available to Uber users include sharing a live status and location update of their journey with family, verifying the correct vehicle using a PIN and access to emergency services directly in the app.

Swiss Uber drivers express concern about new feature

While audio recordings provide extra security for users, several drivers in Switzerland have expressed concern about the new feature. Co-general secretary of the trade union SIT (Syndicat interprofessionnel de travailleuses et travailleurs), Davide De Filippo, told 20 Minuten that the new technology is “highly problematic at first glance”. 

According to De Filippo, labour laws in Switzerland prohibit “this kind of constant monitoring of employees”, and the feature “puts a new control tool in the hands of the customer”. An Uber driver from Geneva said they feel “disrespected” by the safety feature. “I have the feeling that we’re not trusted [and] I don’t want to have to constantly think about everything I say at work”.