{"id":19252,"date":"2023-06-14T14:43:02","date_gmt":"2023-06-14T18:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/?post_type=press-releases&#038;p=19252"},"modified":"2023-06-14T14:43:02","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T18:43:02","slug":"sen-ossoff-launches-bipartisan-inquiry-to-protect-minors-using-rideshare-platforms-from-human-trafficking","status":"publish","type":"press-releases","link":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/press-releases\/sen-ossoff-launches-bipartisan-inquiry-to-protect-minors-using-rideshare-platforms-from-human-trafficking\/","title":{"rendered":"Sen. Ossoff Launches Bipartisan Inquiry to Protect Minors Using Rideshare Platforms from Human Trafficking"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Sen. Ossoff, bipartisan group of Senators are taking action to prevent human trafficking following Uber\u2019s announcement allowing minors to request rides without accompanying adults<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Sen. Ossoff continues working to protect Georgia\u2019s children from harm and abuse<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Washington, D.C. \u2014&nbsp;<\/strong>U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is launching a bipartisan inquiry to protect minors using rideshare platforms from human trafficking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uber&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uber.com\/newsroom\/go-get-2023\/\">recently announced<\/a>&nbsp;that it would begin allowing minors 13 to 17 years old to request rides without an accompanying adult. The program is being launched in cities around the country, including Atlanta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This week, Sens. Ossoff,&nbsp;Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)&nbsp;are calling on rideshare platforms to prevent criminals from using their platforms to transport human trafficking victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTragically, ride-hailing apps like Uber have been used for sex trafficking. Reports from survivors indicate that ride-hailing apps are among the most used means of transportation in sex trafficking,\u201d<strong>Sen. Ossoff and the bipartisan group of Senators wrote in the inquiry.<\/strong>&nbsp;\u201cWe are concerned that the measures taken to date are insufficient to address trafficking on the company\u2019s ride-hailing service, especially given Uber\u2019s recent announcement &#8230; The company can and must do more to shield everyone \u2014 both children and adults \u2014 from trafficking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In recent years, there has been a spike in reports of rideshare services like Uber and Lyft being used as vehicles for exploitation and abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bipartisan group of senators is seeking additional information about what steps each company is taking to combat trafficking on its app, including what kind of training and resources are available for drivers to recognize and respond to trafficking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although platforms like Uber currently offer&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uber.com\/newsroom\/spreading-awareness-to-help-fight-human-trafficking\/\">human trafficking awareness education<\/a>&nbsp;to its drivers, the company\u2019s recent announcement is creating concern for millions of families whose children use ridesharing platforms in their everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sen. Ossoff continues working to keep Georgia\u2019s minors safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, Sen. Ossoff\u2019s bipartisan bill to protect children from online predators and sexual exploitation&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/press-releases\/breaking-sen-ossoffs-bipartisan-bill-to-protect-children-from-online-predators-sexual-exploitation-passes-u-s-senate\/\">passed<\/a>&nbsp;the U.S. Senate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please find Sen. Ossoff\u2019s bipartisan inquiries to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/RB-MB-JH-JO-Letter-to-Uber-06.12.23.pdf\">Uber<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/RB-MB-JH-JO-Letter-to-Lyft-06.12.23.pdf\">Lyft<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Ossoff, bipartisan group of Senators are taking action to prevent human trafficking following Uber\u2019s announcement allowing minors to request rides without accompanying adults Sen. Ossoff continues working to protect Georgia\u2019s children from harm and abuse Washington, D.C. \u2014&nbsp;U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is launching a bipartisan inquiry to protect minors using rideshare platforms from human [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19252","press-releases","type-press-releases","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/19252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-releases"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/19252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19254,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/19252\/revisions\/19254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}