CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Uber has launched a new feature in the Charlotte area that allows teenagers to create a specialized account through their family profile. It will allow children ages 13 to 17 to request their own rides and order food with parental supervision and using key safety features.
The feature set to launch Thursday is not accessible to all users in the Charlotte area.
"It's starting to roll out today," Sarah Casasnovas, senior associate of safety communications at Uber said to WCNC Charlotte. "So you know, keep an eye on it throughout the week. As I said, we're just getting started. So it should gradually be rolling out in the Charlotte area over the coming days."
A release sent Thursday didn't mention a gradual rollout. It instead said, "Beginning today, riders in the Charlotte area will receive an email informing them about this new offering."
When parents in Charlotte are able to access the feature, Uber hopes it’ll be a welcome resource to everyone.
It’s no secret people under the age of 18 have used an Uber.
"'I've had overwhelmingly positive interactions," Teddy, a Charlotte area teen who has ridden an Uber. "I've never felt in danger in any way, I've always felt very safe and the services that Uber provides on their end in their app, add to the safety experience, like being able to track your location, and share your location."
But now there are extra mandatory security features.
Safety features include a PIN verification to help ensure that riders are getting in the correct car before their trip begins. There is also an audio recording option during rides that will save the encrypted file on the device.
Parents are able to constantly communicate with their child’s driver and track the car while the trip is in progress. Sensors and GPS data will also be used through the RideCheck feature to detect any irregularities of the driver going off course or stopping unexpectedly during the ride.
"We have seen teens taking Uber trips on the app prior to having teen accounts. And that's not great because it's not transparent for anyone involved," Casasnovas said.
Mariana Esteves, the product manager at Uber, said that the teen accounts were built with transparency in mind.
“Whether their teen is getting a ride to an internship or heading home after soccer practice, parents will receive real-time notifications and can follow along with live trip tracking every step of the way,” Esteves said. “We’re committed to helping keep teens safe and getting families moving.”
While these features are available for any Uber account, they will be automatically enabled for teenage users. They also cannot be turned off by the teen, driver, or parent.
Drivers must pass local screening and background check requirements before being able to receive trip and delivery requests from teens. This ensures that only highly rated, experienced drivers will receive requests from teenagers.
Drivers can opt out of receiving teen trips at any time.
Development of teen accounts has been underway for over a year and was done in partnership with safety experts such as Safe Kids Worldwide, a global nonprofit organization that aims to protect children from preventable injuries.
The piloting of teen accounts started in late 2022 in Canada and then came to some U.S. cities in early 2023. Uber says teenage users feel increased independence, while their parents say it provides added peace of mind.
A parent or guardian can set up accounts through the Family profile in the Uber app. The teen will receive a link to create their account and complete the mandatory safety onboarding process.
WCNC Charlotte sent a member of Uber's safety team a video of the teen account not working. WCNC Charlotte is waiting to hear back on when the feature will be fully rolled out and available to all accounts in the Charlotte area.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Wake Up Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team at Wake Up Charlotte.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || TuneIn || Google Podcasts
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || TuneIn || Google Podcasts