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Uber launched a comprehensive reform of its security policies on June 29: new background checks that will be uniformly applied across the U.S., affecting both new drivers and delivery personnel as well as those already operating on the platform, with a particularly significant impact in South Florida.
So far, the verification mechanism had structural flaws that an investigation by The New York Times published in December 2025 revealed: in 35 states, the checks were limited to the applicant's last seven years of residency, which meant that "crimes committed elsewhere could go undetected."
Even more concerning: in 22 states, the platform allowed drivers with convictions for "numerous other offenses - including violent crimes, child abuse, assault, and stalking - to continue operating if those convictions were more than seven years old."
What changes with the new policy?
Under the new scheme, Uber will conduct a background check covering up to 99 years of criminal history, linked to the driver's Social Security number and cross-referenced with court records from all jurisdictions where they have resided.
Active drivers will be subject to these checks during their annual reviews.
The measure also extends to Uber Eats delivery drivers.
The list of crimes that involve permanent disqualification is considerably expanded.
In addition to the existing prohibitions for homicide, kidnapping, terrorism, and sexual offenses, now armed robbery, aggravated assault, arson, child abuse and neglect, persistent harassment, and strangulation have also been added.
In their own words, the new policy will exclude drivers with "any history of violent crimes, sexual offenses, stalking, or strangulation offenses" at "any point in their lives."
The company stated that it consulted with leaders of "civil rights and women's security organizations" to update its standards.
Uber considers an exception for approximately 2,000 long-standing drivers: they will be able to retain access as long as their convictions are over 15 years old, do not pertain to sexual offenses, and have not accumulated serious incidents during their time on the platform.
The weight of legal claims
The announcement is not coincidental.
Uber is currently facing over 3,000 consolidated lawsuits in federal courts for alleged sexual assaults committed by drivers.
In February of this year, a jury in Phoenix ordered the company to pay 8.5 million dollars after determining that it failed to prevent a sexual assault committed by one of its drivers, as reported by Bloomberg.
Between 2017 and 2022, Uber received over 400,000 reports of sexual assault or inappropriate behavior in the U.S., a figure much higher than the 12,522 serious cases that the company publicly reported.
The impact in South Florida
For the Cuban and Latin American community in South Florida, where thousands of residents rely on Uber as their primary or supplementary source of income, the changes create uncertainty.
Cities like Miami, Hialeah, Doral, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach have a high density of drivers for digital platforms.
The region is one of the busiest for Uber in the country due to the constant traffic at Miami International Airport, Port of Miami, and Port Everglades.
The local context adds urgency to the measure.
In June of this year, Cuban driver Yusel Pérez Leyva, 42 years old, was arrested in Doral on charges of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a passenger picked up in Miami Beach.
In March 2025, another Cuban driver, Yaroslandys Elozegui Romero, 35 years old, was arrested for forcing a client to perform sexual acts on the SR 826 highway.
Uber has not disclosed how many drivers may be specifically affected in Florida, although it maintains that more than 99.9% of trips conclude without security incidents and that it will continue to strengthen its selection mechanisms to meet the demands of users, authorities, and regulators.
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