What are Uber's next steps toward security?

（THEFAMUANONLINE）Sincethebeginningoftheyear,it’ssafetoassumethatUberTechnologieshasbeenrunningintomanyproblemsconcerningtheirsafetypolicies.

Onethingforsureaboutthiscompanyisthatthey’renottryingtopickupanotherlawsuitlikethetwo-classactionlawsuitsthatsettledaboutamonthagofor$28.5millionforbeingaccusedofexaggeratingthesafetyofitsbackgroundchecks.

IfUberdoesn’tcomeupwithanalternativeactiontoprovetotheirpassengersthattheirassafeandsecureastheywerebeforetheshooting,thethrivingcompanymaynotbeassuccessfulanymorepossiblygivingtheopportunitytotaxicompaniestoriseupagain.

Withthenewgeneration’srelianceonsmartphones,ride-sharingcompaniesbasedoutofmobileappslikeUber,havetakenoff.AlthoughUberisconvenientsomepeopleareworriedabouttheirhiringprocess,especiallywithincidentslikeFebruary’sKalamazooshooting.

HeadquarteredinSanFrancisco,Calif.UberTechnologiesInc.istheleadingandmostsuccessfulmoderndaytaxicompany.Foundedin2009byGarrettCampandCEOTravisKalanick,theymadeitsimpleandaffordabletocatcharidearoundtown.

AccordingtoUber,theirtechnologyenablesthemto"focusonrideranddriversafetybefore,duringandaftereverytripwithacodeofconduct,incidentresponseteams,andanonymizingphonenumberstokeepcontactdetailsconfidential."

Soundsharmless,right?ButtherecentandunexpectedtragicshootinginKalamazoo,Mich.hasraisedmanyquestionsforskepticalriders.

JasonBrianDalton,who'dbeenworkingasanUberdriversinceJanuary,openedfireatrandomtheotherweekinKalamazoo.Inadditiontothesixpeoplekilled,amotheranda14-year-oldgirlwereinjured.NoneoftheshootingvictimswasanUberfare.

UberofficialsstressedtheyhadnoreasontobelieveDaltonposedadangertoanyone.Themarriedfatheroftwohadn'tbeenintroublewiththelawandpassengersseemedtolikehim,givinghima4.73,outof5,rating.Butforsome,theincidentispromptingacloserlookathowUberoperates.

Uberdrivers,or"partners,"astheSanFrancisco-basedcompanycallsthem,don'tgothroughanextensivehiringprocess,withreferencesandsocialmediachecks.

Aprospectivedriverhastoprovidehisorhername,address,driver'slicense,SocialSecuritynumber,proofofcarinsuranceandvehicleregistration.

UberoutsourcesbackgroundcheckstoacompanycalledCheckr,whichlooksatlocal,countyandfederaldatabasesforsignsofpasttrouble.Checkrevensendssomeonetocheckfilesatcountycourthousesifthoserecordsaren'tonline.IfnoproblemsaredetectedthenapersoncangetintotheUbersystem.

TallahasseeUberdriver,JamalFisher,hasbeenworkingwiththecompanysinceFall2015anddrivesalmosteverydayoftheweektoearnextracashsincehe’sastudentatFloridaStateUniversity.

Herecallstheapplicationprocessbeingsimpleandeffortless,gettingaresponsefromUber’shiringteamwithinaweek.

“IheardaboutUberthroughafriendwhowasusingitquitefrequently.IneededajobquickbecausemyrentwasdueinafewweekssoIgaveitatryandappliedonline.Iwasn’tworriedaboutthebackgroundcheckbecauseIknownothingisonmyrecordandinaboutaweekorso,IwascontactedbythelocalUbertellingmeIwaseligibletodriveforthem,”Fishersaid.

OncethestudentdrivercaughtwindoftheKalamazooshooting,hebelievedcustomerswerewouldstoptakingUberandhisextracashflowwillquicklydiminish.

“Imakeprettygoodmoneyeveryweek,enoughtopaysomebills,butonceIheardabouttheshootinginMichigan,IfiguredIwouldlosealotofmoneybecausepeoplewouldbescaredtotakeUber,”Fishersaid.

Sincetheshooting,Fisherclaimsthatmoneyissteadybutsaysit'sstilltooearlytotell.

ThequestionthatrisesineveryUberpassenger’smindis,whatisUbergoingtodoaboutthis?ItallseemstofallbacktotheUberdriver’sbackgroundchecks.WithUberbeingacompanythatconnectsstrangers,theirbackgroundchecksontheirpartnersshouldbemoreextensivethanwhatCheckrprovides.

FrequentUberpassengerJanaeSmithhasrecentlybeensecondguessingtripswithUberandwonderswhattheyplantodoaboutthewholesituation.

“ItakeUberalotsinceIhavenocar,soIdependonthemhighly.Butnowwithallofthis(shooting)goingonI’mafraidofwhatwillhappentomeifItakeUber.Idon’tthinkUberisdoingenoughtofigureoutwhotheirdriversreallyare,”Smithsaid.

UnlikeUber,theirrivalcompetitionoftaxicompaniesrelyonfingerprinttests,makingitpossibletopulldrivers'fullcriminalhistory.However,Uberdoesn’tcheckdriversagainstthenationalsex-offenderregistryoremployfingerprintidentification,whichyouwouldthinkwouldbethemostplausibleandsafestway.

DiscountTaxidriverRamaadJohnsonsaidhewentthrougharigorousscreeningprocessbeforebeinggrantedhisdrivingpositionandhehopesthattheshootingwouldpushmorecustomerhisway.

“Mycompanymadesuretheytooktherightstepsincheckingoutmybackgroundhistory,andIthoughtthey(Uber)weredoingthesame.ButnowwithUberhavingthismessontheirhands,IhopeIcangainmorecustomersandbringinmoremoney,”Johnsonsaid.

UberhaspubliclyapologizedtothevictimsandtheirfamiliesoftheKalamazooshooting,butthecompanybelievesthereisnothingwrongwiththeirbackgroundprotocols,assaidbysafetyUberboardmemberEdDavis.