UBER live-stream has Texas customers wondering if it's legal
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The actions of a Missouri Uber driver has a lot of people talking about privacy.
The driver was live streaming customers as they rode - without many of them even realizing it. In result, the man was suspended, but it leaves the question: is it legal to do such a thing?
Texas is a one-party consent state, meaning it's not illegal to record.
Many ride-share drivers across the country have a recording device or dash camera for their own safety, although the driver in the St. Louis area took it a step further, by not only recording but posting the video on the live website 'Twitch.'
Randall Sorrells with Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto and Aziz Law Firm says the Lone Star State is pretty open to those who publicly record.
"The courts have pretty much held that things out in the open, such as being in a taxi cab, does not necessarily give you an expectation of privacy. You should presume that there are cameras everywhere, there's microphones everywhere and you should be cautious what you say around others," he explained.
Turns out, Uber does allow its driver to record passengers for safety reasons but leaves it up to individual states whether they disclose that to riders.
