Weekly Roundup: NYT: A Sexual Assault Happens on Uber Every 8 Minutes On Average

Uber’s sexual-assault crisis deepens after NYT uncovers 400,000+ reports. Lyft posts record Q2. Uber touts a strong quarter with rising usage and doubles down on robotaxis. California advances a bill to ban AI-driven “surveillance pricing.”

We break it all down for you.

NYT: A Sexual Assault Happens on Uber Every 8 Minutes On Average

SOURCE – The New York Times

A New York Times investigation, based on sealed court documents and internal records, found that from 2017 to 2022 there were over 400K Uber trips in the U.S. that resulted in reports of sexual assault or misconduct, roughly one report every eight minutes on average. NYT reported that Uber considered new safety proposals, but decided to downplay and delay them to avoid friction with riders and drivers.

• A spokesperson for Uber said roughly 75% of the 400,181 reports were “less serious” (e.g., comments on appearance, flirting, explicit language) and noted they haven’t been audited, so some may be incorrect or fraudulent attempts to get refunds.

• Most of the reported attacks most often target women, typically late at night on weekends after bar pickups, and in the vast majority of cases the offenders are men, drivers or passengers, with prior sexual misconduct complaints and low ratings.

• Uber responded to the story on its blog, saying reports of serious sexual assault on Uber have fallen by 44%.

Lyft Reports Record Q2 2025 Financial Results, New Partnerships

SOURCE – Lyft newsroom

Lyft delivered its strongest quarter ever, hitting 234.8M rides in Q2 (+14% YoY) and a record 26.1M active riders, its ninth straight quarter of double-digit growth. Management highlighted momentum from new and expanded partnerships plus targeted products that are lifting acquisition and retention.

• United Airlines joins Lyft’s growing list of partners, which currently includes Alaska, Chase, and DoorDash. United’s MileagePlus members can earn on Lyft rides anywhere, boosting cross-channel visibility and new rider conversion.

• New collaborations with Baidu and BENTELER Mobility on robotaxis are keeping their capital needs light, while advancing Lyft’s autonomy strategy.

• Lyft Silver (launched May) is resonating with older adults; nearly 20% of activations are new users and retention is nearing 80%, signaling durable engagement.

Uber Reports Strong Quarterly Earnings, and Stock Buyback

SOURCE – Marketwatch

Uber announced very strong Q2 earnings: more people used the app and took more trips, and the company made more profit than Wall Street expected. Uber delivered 3.3B quarterly trips in Q2 (+18% YoY), and adjusted EBITDA around $2.12B.

• Uber approved a plan to buy back $20 billion of its own stock, a sign management thinks the business is strong and the shares are worth investing in.

• Looking ahead, Uber expects total spending on rides and deliveries through its platform (gross bookings) to grow about 18%–21% next quarter—healthy momentum.

• Uber One paid members passed 36 million and now account for a big share of orders, and Uber is making a profit from the program due to the monthly subscription fee.

Uber Continues to Double Down on Robotaxi Strategy

SOURCE – Bloomberg (Paywall free)

Bloomberg wrote about Uber’s push into robotaxis by partnering with companies like Waymo instead of building its own self-driving cars. This “capital-light” approach lets Uber add driverless rides in new cities while keeping costs lower and profits steady.

• On a recent earnings call, Uber said it will dedicate a “modest” amount of its $7 billion in annual cash flows to fund robotaxi deployments, and could sell minority stakes in companies to finance further expansion.

• Management says robotaxis are a long game: margins are thinner today and the limiting factor is how many vehicles partners can deploy, but the goal is to scale over time, similar to how Uber Eats grew.

• Despite the hype, autonomous rides will likely stay a small slice of trips until more vehicles hit the road and unit economics improve.

California Bill Would Stop AI-Driven “Surveillance Pricing”

SOURCE – Jalopnik

In California, a bill (SB 259) is advancing in the legislature that would ban rideshare and retailers from using AI-driven “surveillance pricing” tied to personal device signals like phone battery level, model, installed apps, and geolocation. The Fair Online Pricing Act would bar using such data to personalize prices, a practice critics say can exploit consumers in moments of high need.

• The bill is sponsored by Sen. Aisha Wahab, with industry organizations publicly opposing it in committee letters, per the report. Industry groups argue the bill is unnecessary and would raise costs.

• Airlines have started a shift toward AI-based pricing, an indicator of market direction that could soon be coming to rideshare.

Uber Driver Kicks Passenger Out for Lowball Offer

SOURCE – YouTube Shorts

An Uber rider recently filmed himself being asked to leave a vehicle after the driver said Uber wasn’t paying enough for the fare. Was the driver justified in his response? Watch our YouTube Short to find out and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

QUICK HITS

• DoorDash also had positive quarterly earnings. – WSJ

• Rapper Jeezy brought his Uber driver up on stage at a show, after the driver drove 10 hours in bad weather to get the rapper to his show. – Fox 5 Atlanta

• Uber is expanding its offices in the Seattle, Washington area. – Biz Journals

• Want to learn more about the robotaxi industry? Subscribe to The Driverless Digest, our new newsletter and podcast dedicated to the future of autonomous vehicles.

Must Listen Or Watch RSG Content

Here are this week’s featured podcast episode and YouTube videos:

• RSG265: Lyft Completes FREE NOW Acquisition, Eyes Global Expansion

• Uber Fixed This. Lyft Still Hasn’t

• This Insurance Trick Could Save You From Total Financial Disaster

• How Lyft Drivers Can Get Free Car Maintenance Through Points

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