Uber Live Video Lets Parents Watch Teen Rides in Real Time
The new safety feature uses the driver's front-facing camera and is rolling out first in nine U.S. markets before a nationwide expansion.
Uber says the feature is designed as an additional safety tool for families whose teens travel independently. It builds on existing teen-account features such as live trip tracking, PIN verification, and audio recording.
Uber Live Video Starts in Nine U.S. Markets
When live video is available, the parent or guardian linked to the teen account receives a notification after the ride begins. Tapping the notification opens the live feed inside the Uber app, showing the teen and driver through the driver's front-facing camera.
Both the teen and driver are notified when a guardian starts watching. The stream ends automatically when the trip is completed, and the driver receives onboarding about the feature, including guidance for positioning the phone camera.
The initial rollout covers Atlanta, Phoenix, Orlando, Raleigh-Durham, Portland, San Antonio, Cleveland, Rhode Island, and El Paso. Uber says the feature will expand across the U.S. in the coming weeks.
What Happens to the Video After the Ride
Uber says the live stream is encrypted and that the company cannot access the live video while the trip is underway. After the ride, the encrypted recording is stored on Uber's servers for a limited period.
Uber told ABC News that it can access the decryption key when investigating a safety incident. The company says recordings are automatically deleted after 14 days unless they are associated with a safety report, in which case its data-retention policies apply.
The privacy model matters because the camera can capture both the teen and driver. Uber says only the parent or guardian account linked to the teen account can watch the live feed, while both people in the vehicle are notified when viewing begins.
Teen Safety Features Are Expanding Across Platforms
Uber's rollout arrives as other consumer platforms are adding stronger controls around younger users. Saganote recently covered ChatGPT's stronger protections for teen accounts and new parental controls on Threads, showing how parental visibility is becoming a larger part of product design for teen users.
