SXSW 2017

Bringing Uber and Lyft Back to Austin

For the first time since their arrival in 2014, Uber and Lyft won’t be operating in Austin during SXSW. Austinites and visitors alike wonder about the future of ridesharing in the city and nationwide.

The answer to this question comes back to identity: trust, but verify. Traditional cab drivers are vetted through FBI background checks, but aren’t accountable to riders. Ridesharing apps include rider feedback, but weak identity verification. Solving this identity impasse in Austin can revolutionize how the sharing economy expands to new cities.

Hear digital identity experts and Lyft's director of government relations explore different ridesharing blueprints for Austin and elsewhere.