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Boston Uber driver faces rape charges

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Uber is back in news following reports of alleged rape earlier this month by a Boston driver believed to be hired through the radio cab service.

According to a Boston Globe report, Alejandro Done, 46, is facing rape and kidnapping charges. Done had picked up the woman from Tremont Street and was supposed to drop her at her in Cambridge.  Done allegedly told the woman that she had to pay for the cab ride in cash and drove her to an ATM. He later allegedly took her to an isolated area, then stopped the car, went to the back seat and struck her.  

He allegedly locked the car doors and then tried to strangle her. The prosecutors allege that he sexually assaulted her. Uber representative have confirmed that Done was working for them and had passed a background check. Done is facing charges of rape, assault to rape, kidnapping, and two counts of assault and battery to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Online taxi service Uber Technologies Inc  said it was exploring adding new methods to verify drivers' credentials and make its service safer. Uber has started research and development on biometrics and voice verification to build tools for enhanced driver screening, Phillip Cardenas, the company's global safety, head wrote in a blog. (Read more here)

The start-up was also exploring new ways to screen drivers, including polygraph tests and adding its own processes on top of commercial license verifications. "Of course, no background check can predict future behavior and no technology can yet fully prevent bad actions," Cardenas said. "But our responsibility is to leverage every smart tool at our disposal."

In the United States, Uber's background-verification process includes checks of court records going back seven years; a multi-state criminal database; and the National Sex Offender Registry, according to Uber policy posted on its website. Activities that disqualify potential drivers include sexual offenses, violent crimes and gun-related infractions.

But that is not the case internationally, where records are not always kept for the same categories of data as in the United States, or treated with rigor. "In some countries the integrity of the data can be compromised as individuals may be able to pay monetary fees to have their records adjusted," said a spokeswoman from the National Association of Professional Background Screeners.

The San Francisco-based firm also said it was building safety incident response teams to provide round-the-clock support.

Uber has been dogged by controversy surrounding its aggressive approach to local governments and traditional taxi services. The company's business practices have come under scrutiny, with some customers alleging privacy violations, as it has grown rapidly around the world in recent months.

France, Spain and Thailand have banned some or all Uber services. The company's services have also been banned in New Delhi following the rape allegation.

With agency inputs

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