AI helps 99 to reduce harassment occurrences

The ride app 99 reduced harassment incidents on its platform by 23% in the first half of 2020. According to the company, the result came after investments in artificial intelligence to facilitate complaints and instantly block aggressors.

An essential tool to build this result was the Comment Tracker, an algorithm that searches through passenger and driver evaluations, identifying words and contexts that may be related to harassment. The initiative was developed in partnership with the feminist consultancy Think Eva, an arm of the Think Olga organization that forges strategies to promote gender equality.

“With the Comment Tracker, we can welcome victims more quickly and block attackers immediately,” says Thiago Hipólito, 99 Security Director. According to him, 80% of the complaints are detected by the tool.

In the first semester, the app also implemented the audio recording option, which can be used as evidence in case of inappropriate conversations. Besides, the company is launching 99Mulher (99Women) in eight cities, offering female drivers to female passengers.