Uber hits a speed bump over alleged mistreatment of female passengers

Allegations concerning Uber’s handling of women passengers’ safety and its response to reports of sexual assault, sexual misconduct and sexual harassment by drivers are being investigated by Slater and Gordon Lawyers in a potential Australian class action.

Slater and Gordon Lawyers is investigating a potential class action against Uber in Australia, regarding allegations concerning women passengers’ safety and the company’s handling of accusations regarding sexual assault, sexual misconduct and sexual harassment inflicted by drivers.

The announcement comes after the firm filed a class action against energy giant AGL on behalf of customers who paid extra for its “carbon neutral” gas and electricity products.

The current investigation into Uber is examining whether the transporting service’s systems, policies and practices adequately protected the safety of women passengers, and whether the company responded appropriately when complaints involving alleged driver sexual misconduct, sexual assault and sexual harassment were reported.

Uber has a history of mistreating their own drivers as well, after it was found by the FWC to have unfairly dismissed one of their drivers, following a passenger who alleged that their driver masturbated while driving, with the court ruling that Uber had not provided sufficient evidence to establish the alleged misconduct.

The research of the current investigation is supported by Roy Morgan data released in June 2025, which found that 7.4 million Australians aged 14 and over used Uber in the March quarter, compared with approximately 4.2 million who used taxis, giving Uber a lead of more than three million users.

Uber usage had also increased by 40.6 per cent since 2019, while taxi usage had fallen by 13.3 per cent, with Uber particularly popular among younger Australians.

The inquiry is evaluating the company’s driver screening and monitoring processes, safety education programs, response mechanisms for incoming reports, and in-app security functions.

Slater and Gordon’s investigation

Speaking to Lawyers Weekly, the practice group leader of Slater and Gordon, Cindy Bors highlighted the basis of the investigation is from the experiences of women that have contacted the firm.

“This investigation is examining Uber's systems, practices and policies and whether they did enough to protect women’s passenger safety,” Bors said.

“This investigation is based on the experiences of women who have contacted Slater and Gordon and also on publicly available information regarding safety reporting, materials disclosed in the US Uber MDL litigation, and complaints information from Australia.

“Based on NYTimes reporting, it appears that Uber had longstanding knowledge of the risk of sexual assault and misconduct and actively assessed this risk within its rideshare platform since at least 2017.

“Uber operates a software platform that connects drivers and passengers and controls the requirements for access to that platform and the safety features available.

“Uber operates in over 70 countries worldwide, for women who have experienced sexual misconduct, the harm does not end when the trip ends.

“They should not have to carry these experiences alone or in silence.”

In a public statement, Bors indicated that the investigation serves a stark reminder of the reality of women being mistreated in public.

“Women should be able to get home in an Uber safely, without being frightened or violated by the person behind the wheel, or left wondering whether anyone will listen and act,” Bors said.

“When a woman passenger reports or alleges sexual harassment, sexual misconduct or sexual assault involving an Uber driver, the systems receiving, investigating and responding to that report matter.

“Some people may have felt that their experience was not serious enough to report, or that reporting would not make a difference.

“We want to hear from women about what happened and how Uber responded.”

Uber’s response

Lawyers Weekly spoke to a representative from Uber, detailing the company’s stance when it comes to safety and the mistreatment of women, in particular.

“Safety is a core value at Uber, and we have invested billions of dollars and countless hours to protect the safety of users during trips,” the spokesperson said.

“One sexual assault is one too many, and we take every report seriously.

“Uber recognises that sexual violence is a serious harm in the broader community, and we are committed to continually strengthening our technology, policies, and procedures to protect riders.

“Protecting the safety of women requires governments, law enforcement and platforms to work hand in hand.

“To ensure these safety measures are effective, digital platforms need a clear and consistent legislative and regulatory framework. “Accordingly, we are calling for immediate reform of the Digital Labour Platform Deactivation Code to make it easier for platforms to uphold their safety standards, take action against drivers who threaten or violate rider safety, and strike the right balance between rider safety and procedural fairness.”

The spokesperson also listed the procedures that are put in place to comply with each state’s regulatory framework, prior to becoming an Uber driver, stressing that: “Safety does not begin and end with a background check - we are constantly working to make every trip safer before, during and after each trip.”

Some of the measures include, a check your ride option, an in-app emergency button which connects riders with emergency services, a share my trip option which allows riders to share their location with friends, and more.

Slater and Gordon has reaffirmed that no finding of liability has been made and no class action has commenced at this stage, and registering interest does not commence legal proceedings or guarantee that legal action will be taken.

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