The Family Online Safety Institute Welcomes Uber to Membership

‍The Family Online Safety Institute Welcomes Uber to Membership

Washington, D.C. --  The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) today announces that leading ride-hailing and delivery services company Uber will join as its newest member. Uber is the first company in the rideshare, delivery or transportation space to join FOSI, paving the way for other companies in the sharing economy who are committed to improving safety both on and offline. 

Uber is committed to helping people go anywhere and get anything, with safety at the forefront of its work. For busy families with teenagers, Uber can be an especially convenient and reliable tool for their ever changing needs. That’s why this summer Uber launched teen accounts in 250 cities across the U.S. Parents and guardians can invite their teens (ages 13-17) to create a specialized Uber account that allows teens to request their own rides and order food with parental supervision and key safety features built into the experience. 

All teen trips have safety features automatically enabled, including PIN verification, live trip tracking, unexpected event alerts, and access to Uber’s Safety Line. These features cannot be turned off by the teen, the driver, or the parent, so teens always have access to them with the touch of a button and parents know exactly where their teen is going and who is behind the wheel. 

“We are delighted to welcome Uber into the growing FOSI community, “ said Stephen Balkam, FOSI CEO. “Their commitment to on and offline safety is commendable and we look forward to ensuring their younger users have a safe and secure experience.”

As part of its mission to be the safest and most trusted mobility and delivery platform, Uber continues to partner with safety advocates like FOSI and develop new technologies and systems to help improve safety and help make it easier for everyone to get around.

“Every day, Uber leads with safety at the heart of our work to help protect our communities, including children and families,” said Emilie Boman, Uber Director of Global Public Policy for Safety, Privacy & Consumer Protection. “We are thrilled to build on that mission by partnering with FOSI to help educate families and promote safety as they navigate today’s digital world.”

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About FOSI 

The Family Online Safety Institute is an international, non-profit organization that works to make the online world safer for kids and their families. FOSI convenes leaders in industry, government and the non-profit sectors to collaborate and innovate new solutions and policies in the field of online safety. Through research, resources, events and special projects, FOSI promotes a culture of responsibility online and encourages a sense of digital citizenship for all. FOSI's membership includes many of the leading Internet and telecommunications companies around the world.

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About Uber 

Uber’s mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 37 billion trips later, we’re building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.