Uber pays $9 million to settle sexual assault reports.

Uber had to pay $9 million (£6.8 million) to file a complaint about sexual assault and harassment reports in California.

The California Public Service Commission (CPUC) asked Uber to provide information about the attack and harassment but did not. Uber argued at the time that it was a "shocking invasion of privacy" for the victims.

The payment - deducted from the initial $59 million fine - will help fund progress on passenger safety, the CPUC said. The agreement between Uber, CPUC, and the National Rape and Incest Abuse Network (Rainn) ends a nearly two-year dispute over whether Uber should share records of reported incidents with its drivers.

Uber argues that disclosing such records publicly could be traumatizing for those attacked and could prevent future reports - especially since the CPUC wants the names of all "witnesses" - including those attacked. Raine raised similar concerns about whether California officials would treat sensitive information with care.

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But the CPUC says it only needs information "in print," - meaning details of each case will be kept secret. Uber's response is believed to be an "attempt to thwart Commission oversight."

In December 2020, a year later, the CPUC initially fined Uber $59 million (£44.5 million) for non-compliance. But after contacting Uber, he agreed to a $9 million settlement this week, which resulted in:

Uber will now also report to California employees and use "unique identifiers" instead of names to help protect individual identities. It will also establish an "inclusion process" for "survivors" who wish to provide more information about what happened to government officials.

In a statement, Uber said it was "delighted that the entire commission has accepted this agreement," adding, "Most importantly, we were able to move forward with a solution that safeguards the privacy and freedom of the survivors."