Eight Members of Congress Ask Uber, Lyft, Sidecar to Adopt Fingerprint-Based Background Checks

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today was joined by seven other members of Congress in asking Uber, Lyft and Sidecar to adopt fingerprint-based background checks for drivers. They are advocating this policy in the light of recent reports of sexual assaults being carried out by drivers in cities like Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago.

“While we understand your companies conduct private background checks when vetting potential drivers, you should take additional steps to increase the safety of your customers,” they wrote. “Specifically, we urge you to adopt comprehensive fingerprint-based background checks for new and existing drivers. With rapidly expanding operations in the United States, your companies have become part of the daily lives of many Americans. Following multiple instances of sexual assault by drivers hired to work in your industry, it is clear that there is an urgent need to improve screening standards currently in place.”

Identical letters were sent to Travis Kalanick, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Uber; Logan Green, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lyft; and Sunil Paul, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sidecar.

Uber, Lyft and Sidecar currently contract with private companies to conduct background checks. Those companies run social security numbers against county-by-county online records. Fingerprint-based checks are more comprehensive and harder to fake. They are also linked to nationwide Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation databases. Many state-regulated taxi cab companies are required to use fingerprint-based background checks.

Joining DeLauro on her letter were Democratic Representatives Louise Slaughter, Niki Tsongas, Keith Ellison, Yvette Clarke, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Corrine Brown and John Garamendi.


###