Uber Technologies on Tuesday announced the expansion of a live-streaming feature for its teen ride service, enabling parents to monitor trips in real time via the driver's smartphone camera. The rollout begins in the coming weeks after pilots in Atlanta, Phoenix, Orlando, San Antonio, Cleveland, El Paso, Raleigh-Durham, Portland and Rhode Island.
The feature, which debuted in 2023 alongside Uber's teen ride service, sends a notification to the parent's account when the live stream becomes available after a trip starts. Both the teen and the driver receive alerts when the parent begins viewing the stream. Drivers must opt in to enable live streaming for eligible trips.
The app monitors device battery levels, temperature and performance, automatically pausing the stream if conditions deteriorate, including during poor internet connectivity. Video streams run in the background to adapt to the driver's device specifications, according to Bloomberg.
Uber's teen ride service connects passengers aged 13 to 17 with highly rated, experienced drivers. Since its 2023 launch, the service has completed tens of millions of trips across more than 50 countries worldwide.
