Uber riders, drivers in Canada can now record audio of their trips

Uber Technologies Inc. is introducing a new feature in Canada on Wednesday that gives riders and drivers the ability to record audio of their trips.

The ride-hailing giant says the feature piloted in Calgary last November is meant to encourage safety and provide peace of mind.

The tool allows riders and drivers to begin recording their trips with a push of a button through Uber's app.

If a driver has audio recording set up, Uber says passengers will be notified before the trip starts that their trip might be recorded.

Recordings made by the app will be encrypted and locked, so the driver, rider and Uber cannot access the audio saved on their device unless a safety issue is reported.

If a safety incident is reported, the user will be able to attach the audio file to the report and share it with Uber's safety team, which will decrypt the audio and determine the best course of action.