BIG UBER IS LISTENING: Uber to test recording audio of trips in effort to improve security.

The feature was first unveiled at an event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, earlier this month, and will allow drivers and riders to record audio of their trip “before or during the trip in some regions,” according to an Uber blog post in Portuguese.

Uber confirmed to NBC News that it would be testing out the new safety feature in Latin America. The rollout will begin next month, according to The Washington Post.

It is unclear if and when the feature will make it to the United States.

The blog post stated that the audio is encrypted and stored on the user’s phone, but adds that only Uber will have access to the recording. Users will not be able to play back their recording.

I actually don’t have a problem with this, provided that either the data is eventually either deleted or anonymized, given the occasional safety issues inherent in ride-sharing.