CBS News - What to know about Turo, the car rental app used in New Orleans attack and Las Vegas bombing
Turo, a car-sharing app similar to Airbnb for cars, is under scrutiny after two vehicles rented through its platform were used in deadly attacks. The company is consulting with national security and counterterrorism experts to enhance its safety measures. Turo's CEO expressed outrage over the misuse of their platform and emphasized their commitment to preventing future incidents. Users must upload their driver's license and banking information to create an account, and Turo employs a 'risk score' system to assess users. However, the individuals involved in the attacks did not trigger any alarms in their background checks. Turo is collaborating with intelligence agencies to improve their security protocols, acknowledging the difficulty in preventing such incidents when individuals have no prior criminal history. There are currently no federal regulations specifically addressing background checks for car-sharing services like Turo, with existing regulations focusing more on insurance liabilities.
Key Points:
- Turo is consulting with security experts to prevent misuse of its platform.
- Users undergo a 'risk score' assessment based on background checks from multiple databases.
- The attackers did not trigger any alarms in Turo's background check system.
- Turo acknowledges the challenge of preventing incidents when individuals have no criminal history.
- Federal regulations focus on insurance, not background checks for car-sharing services.
Details:
1. 🚗 Turo's Involvement in Recent Attacks
1.1. Incident 1: Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas
1.2. Incident 2: Electric Truck in New Orleans
2. 📰 Introduction of Eli Tan
2.1. Eli Tan: Technology Reporter
2.2. Introduction to 'Cho' Car Rental Service
3. 📱 How Turo Works
- Turo operates as a car-sharing app similar to Airbnb for cars.
- Users can list their personal vehicles, such as a 2018 Subaru Impreza, for rent on the platform.
- Owners have the flexibility to set rental prices, for example, $100 per day for a Subaru Impreza.
- The platform accommodates a range of rental prices, from $50 per day for economical cars to higher prices for luxury vehicles like Cybertrucks or sports cars.
- Renters contact the car owner to arrange to pick up the keys and pay for the rental duration they choose.
4. 🔍 Turo's Background Check Process
- Users must create an account by uploading a driver's license, providing banking information, and an email address.
- Background checks are part of Turo's terms of service but are not mandatory for every user.
- Turo employs a 'Turo risk score' system, which conducts background checks using data from approximately 50 databases.
- A user's risk score is calculated, and alerts are generated if the score is too high.
- Despite the risk score system, individuals involved in attacks with rented trucks had not triggered alerts due to lack of prior criminal history.
5. 🛡️ Turo's Response to Security Concerns
5.1. Collaboration with Security Agencies
5.2. Challenges in Security Enforcement
6. 🏛️ Federal Regulations and Turo
- Federal regulations primarily impact Turo through insurance requirements, mandating specific coverage standards for shared vehicles to ensure liability protection for both owners and renters.
- Amendments to federal liability laws have introduced challenges for peer-to-peer car-sharing platforms, potentially increasing operational costs due to mandatory insurance coverage and compliance with safety standards.
- Turo's interactions with state regulators have highlighted the complexity of navigating both state and federal insurance regulations, with particular emphasis on liability coverage and vehicle safety standards.
- While federal regulations do not yet mandate specific background checks or general safety standards for Turo drivers or vehicles, ongoing legislative discussions may lead to future requirements impacting operational protocols.