What to know before letting your child use it

PARENTING – A feature for teenagers that aims to put parents' minds at ease. The Uber application launched “Uber for teens” on Wednesday October 30 in 13 French cities: a service designed for minors aged 13 to 17, and sold as more secure.

With this service added to the popular transport car with driver (VTC) application, parents will be able to offer a special account to their children allowing them to order food, groceries or a car with driver, all under their supervision . If you want to allow your child to use it, here's what you need to know.

“Guest” account and security code

To be able to create an account on the application, teenagers will need to be invited by an adult who already has an Uber account, to which theirs will be linked. The adult can set a monthly spending limit, which will be debited from their means of payment.

Then, the teenager will be able to order VTC trips or food delivery without needing the prior consent of the account holder. The adult will be notified of the journeys and will be able to follow them “in real time”.

Pour “bring serenity to parents”, the platform has adjusted its mode of operation for adolescents by adding “personalized, automatic security features, accessible in just a few clicks and cannot be deactivated”. On its press release, Uber lists a « code PIN unique » without which the driver will not be able to start the race, the possibility for adults to contact the drivers at any time, but also information sent to the contact adult: “ the driver’s name, vehicle information and requested destination.”

Background checked drivers

Asked by franceinfoManon Guignard, communications manager of Uber France explained that only the most “experienced”with a note “at least 4.85/5” could take care of adolescents.

On behalf of Uber, she also assured that the company checks all drivers' backgrounds. Because to become a VTC, you need a criminal record without mention of “ final conviction (…) to a criminal sentence or to a correctional sentence of at least six months' imprisonment for theft, fraud, breach of trust, willful attack on the integrity of the person, sexual assault, trafficking in weapons, extortion or drug violations.”

Unanswered questions

But if the application prides itself on a product that allows autonomy and security for adolescents, certain questions remain unanswered. As noted franceinfoit is not necessary for the teenager's account to be linked to that of his or her parents or legal guardian.

“Any adult who has an Uber account can invite a minor to create a teenage account with only a telephone number, provided they pay for their trips, without there being any parental responsibility link”, specifies their article of October 29. Minors can also be accompanied during these trips, without any verification having to be carried out by the driver.

The application will also offer an audio recording of the race, which the teenager can activate if he considers it necessary. A function that can also be launched at the discretion of the drivers. “If a driver has audio recording enabled, the app will notify your teen while the driver is on their way to pick them up. If they want, your teenager can cancel the trip and order another one”explains the Uber website. So many points to keep in mind before letting your teenager use the application.

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