Uber: new software can tell if you’re drunk

For many city-dwellers, ride-hailing service Uber is a lifeline after a night out, when public transport is out of service or simply unappealing.

However, a patent recently filed by the company reveals that new technology could enable Uber to identify intoxicated users and provide them with a reduced service - or no service at all.

The application filed by Uber with the United States Patent and Trademark Office describes a system that would measure what it calls the “state” of customers using the app.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

However, a close look indicates that “what Uber is really interested in is detecting the difference between users of sound mind and users who are under the influence”, says TechCrunch.

So what clues would be a giveaway? Boozers could out themselves by “making typos, not precisely clicking on links and buttons, the way they are holding their phone, their walking speed and how long it takes to request a ride”, says The Daily Telegraph.

“Riders in a particularly unusual state may be matched with drivers who have special training or expertise, or may not be provided service at all,” TechCrunch reports.

The patent adds that users judged to be drunk could be barred from pooling with other customers, or could have their pick-up or drop-off points changed to a safer location.

The app’s high volume of intoxicated passengers has raised concerns about the safety of drivers and passengers alike.

“From February 2016 to February 2017, there were 48 alleged sex attacks by Uber drivers reported to the police in London,” says The New Statesman. Similar scandals have dogged the service in the US, Europe and India.