Tragedy Strikes: Turo’s Peer-to-Peer Car-Sharing Platform Used in Acts of Violence
New Orleans and Las Vegas Witness Horrific Crimes Committed by Turo Rented Cars
Two individuals, a military veteran and an active-duty Green Beret, rented cars from Turo, a peer-to-peer car-sharing platform, to commit acts of violence earlier this week. The first incident occurred in New Orleans where a Ford F-150 Lightning was driven into a crowd of people, resulting in the loss of at least 15 lives. In Las Vegas, an active-duty Green Beret rented a Tesla Cybertruck and allegedly blew it up outside the Trump International Hotel. Unfortunately, the driver took their own life.
Turo’s Response: Outrage and Commitment to Improving Safety
On Friday, Turo’s CEO, Andre Haddad, released a statement expressing his outrage over the misuse of the platform by these two individuals. He noted that Turo is working around the clock to understand how its platform could have been exploited in this manner. Haddad emphasized that the company is committed to improving its safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
A Closer Look at Turo’s Safety Measures
Turo describes itself as a platform similar to Airbnb, where vehicle owners can rent out their cars for extra income or even as a full-time business. Many hosts on the platform rent out multiple vehicles at once. To ensure safety, Turo uses a proprietary multi-layer data-science-based trust and safety algorithm called the Turo Risk Score. This algorithm is built using 50 internal and external data sources.
However, the exact nature of this algorithm is unclear. It’s not evident whether Turo performs traditional background checks or what specific measures are taken to vet renters. TechCrunch reached out to Turo for clarification but did not receive a response.
Past Incidents: Human Trafficking and Drug Trafficking on Turo
Turo has faced controversies in the past when cars on its platform were found to be involved in human trafficking and drug trafficking cases. Hosts have also reported renting their vehicles to individuals with criminal histories. Despite these incidents, Turo claims that only a small percentage of its trips end in serious incidents like vehicle theft.
The Challenge of Preventing Abuse
Even if Turo’s background checks were foolproof, the perpetrators of this week’s crimes had valid driver’s licenses and clean criminal backgrounds. They were also decorated U.S. military servicemembers, which might have made them less likely to be flagged by law enforcement or traditional rental car companies.
Turo’s CEO noted that these individuals could have easily rented a vehicle from any other platform without being detected. This highlights the challenge of preventing abuse on platforms like Turo.
Improving Safety Measures
In response to this incident, Turo is investing in improving its risk score algorithm and has assembled a team of former law enforcement professionals to help assess future risk. The company is also consulting with national security and counterterrorism experts to learn how to further improve safety measures.
Key Takeaways
- Two individuals used Turo rented cars to commit acts of violence, resulting in loss of life.
- Turo’s CEO expressed outrage over the misuse of the platform and committed to improving safety measures.
- The exact nature of Turo’s risk score algorithm is unclear, and it’s not evident whether traditional background checks are performed.
- Despite past incidents of abuse on the platform, Turo claims a low rate of serious incidents.
Conclusion
The tragic events that occurred this week in New Orleans and Las Vegas raise important questions about the safety measures in place for peer-to-peer car-sharing platforms like Turo. While the company is taking steps to improve its risk score algorithm and consult with experts, there is still much work to be done to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
Recommendations
- Improve transparency around Turo’s risk score algorithm to ensure that it effectively identifies potential risks.
- Implement more stringent vetting procedures for renters, including traditional background checks.
- Continue consulting with national security and counterterrorism experts to stay ahead of potential threats.
