Uber at center of South Carolina human trafficking lawsuit

SOCASTEE, S.C. (WBTW) — A human trafficking horror story on the state’s northern border could easily happen on the Grand Strand thanks to lax regulations and proper training of rideshare drivers, an attorney said on Wednesday.

Tracey Cowan, head of Clarkson Law Firm’s sexual assault practice, on Wednesday filed a 38-page lawsuit against Uber in York County, alleging the company’s refusal to implement safety standards led to a pair of 12-year-old girls being driven across state lines where they were raped.

“This is on Uber to stop. Uber knows this is happening. It has long known it was happening, but it refuses to enact basic, commonsense measures to ensure our children are safe,” Cowan said in a media call outlining the case. “Simply put, Uber is out to make a profit, and it doesn’t care who it hurts along the way.”

Last year, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division reported 357 open human trafficking cases that encompass up to 500 victims — mostly minors who were sexually assaulted.

SLED’s data also showed that cases were opened in 40 counties, including 24 in Horry County.

In February, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a new tutorial program with Lyft to help its North American drivers detect human trafficking. Cowan said Uber could take similar steps, including:

• mandatory anti-trafficking training for all drivers
• zero tolerance policy for transporting unaccompanied minors
• monitored dashcams in all Uber vehicles

“One of the problems with Uber’s business model is that it knows human trafficking is happening on its platform, and it knows that it’s a huge mechanism and instrument for human trafficking in this country, yet Uber does not require any of its drivers to complete even a little bit of training on how to identify and support potential trafficking victims,” Cowan said.

Uber hasn’t updated the human trafficking section of its website since 2019.

Cowan said the lawsuit identified drivers in the York County case as John Does because company executives have refused to reveal who they are.

“It’s easier than ever for traffickers to transport and essentially get their trafficking victims from one place to another,” Cowan said. “I absolutely would not let my children ride in an Uber (alone), and I don’t think Uber executives would allow their children to ride in Ubers either.”

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12 . See more of his work here .

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