Law enforcement requests
Uber is different from other tech companies. Because we help put real people in real cars and prioritize the safety of those riders and drivers, and the communities in which we operate, we are committed to working with law enforcement officials to respond quickly to valid data requests from government agencies. In fact, we built a dedicated portal for local law enforcement officials to securely submit inquiries to Uber. These requests include such public safety matters as investigations related to carjackings, financial fraud, and missing persons.
For US law enforcement, Uber will disclose information where required by law in accordance with the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and other legal authorities. There are also certain exceptions to ECPA’s guidelines on sharing user data. For example, Uber may voluntarily disclose user data in emergencies. Uber reserves the right to reject requests for any reason, including requests that do not have a valid legal basis, are overbroad, vague, or otherwise inappropriate, or if Uber cannot verify the legitimacy of the request. Where appropriate, our team of highly trained public safety response professionals will work with law enforcement personnel to narrow the scope of requests such that the information subsequently disclosed is strictly necessary and responsive to the legal process issued.
To learn more about our process and requirements for responding to law enforcement requests in the US, please see Uber’s Guidelines for United States Law Enforcement. For the rest of the world, please see the Uber Guidelines for Law Enforcement Authorities - Outside the United States.
2021 law enforcement requests
Uber connects users to many offerings and services, including, but not limited to, ridesharing, food delivery, and Uber for Business. The tables below represent law enforcement data requests related to our products and services.
The statistics below in the United States table represent the number of requests and legal process types received from US law enforcement authorities. We also disclose the number of user accounts affected by these requests, and how often we have responded with relevant information. The statistics below in the Canada table represent the number of legal process and emergency requests received from Canadian law enforcement authorities as well as the number of users affected by these requests, and how often we have responded with relevant information.
Law enforcement data requests
United States
Requests received¹ | Number of data requests | Number of requests where some user data was disclosed | Number of users whose data was disclosed | Percentage of requests where some user data was disclosed² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Emergency | 1,181 | 562 | 1,013 | 47.6% |
Court order | 260 | 183 | 542 | 70.4% |
Search warrant | 973 | 640 | 2,051 | 65.8% |
Subpoena | 2,953 | 1,594 | 4,080 | 54.0% |
Totals | 5,367 | 2,979 | 7,686 | 55.5% |
Canada
Number of data requests | Number of requests where some user data was disclosed | Number of users whose data was disclosed | Percentage of requests where some user data was disclosed² | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Emergency | 260 | 111 | 167 | 42.7% |
Legal process | 197 | 123 | 353 | 62.4% |
Totals | 457 | 234 | 520 | 51.2% |
¹Contains national security requests received by Uber, which may include orders and directives issued under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and national security letters. Pursuant to US law, these numbers are reported within ranges and are subject to a one-year reporting delay. For the time period of July 2020 to July 2021, we received between 0 and 99 national security requests, which targeted between 0 and 99 user accounts.
²Percentages are calculated based on the number of requests where some user data was disclosed (i.e., one or more user accounts) divided by the number of data requests. For requests where no data was disclosed, it was typically due to either duplicate request submissions or no data being available.
Download data reported in previous years
Frequently asked questions
- Why do you get requests from law enforcement agencies?
During a criminal investigation, law enforcement agencies may ask us for information about user(s) that is relevant to the investigation. Our dedicated team of experts, who are trained to manage these requests, work to ensure that any information we disclose is consistent with our policies and applicable law.
- What does Uber do when it receives a request for user information?
Uber is committed to protecting the privacy and security of our users’ data. With limited exceptions like emergencies, we require a valid and sufficient legal process from official government agencies before we disclose any information about our users. When we receive a request from law enforcement, we review it to ensure that it satisfies legal requirements. We object to overly broad, vague, or unreasonable requests. When submitting an emergency request, law enforcement must certify that the request is related to an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury that requires disclosure of information without delay.
- Does Uber report information about US national security requests?
National security requests include orders and directives issued under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and national security letters (NSLs). Pursuant to US law, we are prohibited from reporting exact numbers of any NSLs or FISA orders received. Any numbers reported are within ranges and subject to a one-year reporting delay.
To learn more about our process and requirements for responding to law enforcement requests in the US, see Uber’s Guidelines for United States Law Enforcement. For the rest of the world, see the Uber Guidelines for Law Enforcement Authorities - Outside the United States.
- How does Uber define the number of users whose data was disclosed?
The data within this column in the tables above is counted on an individual request/disclosure basis. For example, the same Uber account may be specified across 2 separate requests and disclosures. In this instance, the user would be counted twice within the column.
- How does Uber ensure the completeness and accuracy of reported data?
We perform various audits of our data in advance of the release of the Government Transparency Report.
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