Uber To Let Teens Ride Alone Under Parental Supervision

Uber Technologies Inc UBER is pushing the boundaries of ridesharing by allowing teenagers, ages 13 to 17, to take solo rides under the watchful eyes of their parents.

What Happened: Announced Wednesday during Uber’s third annual GO-GET product showcase, "teen accounts" present both convenience for busy parents and an array of questions about what could potentially go wrong.

Under the new feature, parents can create a family profile that links multiple Uber accounts, enabling them to pay for rides and track their teens’ real-time location.

Potential drivers must be experienced and highly rated, Uber said, adding an additional layer of safety. The company has a number of built-in, privacy-preserving features, including Verify My Ride, RideCheck and Audio Recording. Parents can also maintain constant contact with the driver during a trip, reach out to Uber's support team or report an issue on behalf of their teen.

Uber’s teen accounts are now live in select cities across the U.S., including Atlanta; Bloomington, Indiana; Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio; Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Minneapolis; Nashville, Tennessee; the New York City metro area, including its suburbs; and Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.

UBER Price Action: Shares of Uber are trading 1% higher to $37.82, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

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