Hope Ledford, policy manager at the Chamber of Progress, said Colorado’s HB25-1291 would impose intrusive surveillance through automatic in-ride recordings that may violate rider and driver privacy norms. She made the statement during a Senate hearing.
"The bill's mandate to record video and audio automatically during every ride raises serious privacy concerns," said Ledford. "While notifications are required, the default setting effectively records every passenger even if they haven't actively consented. That level of surveillance goes beyond what most riders and drivers expect when they open the app."
House Bill 25-1291, also referred to as the TNC Consumer Protection Bill, has generated significant debate in Colorado. The bill proposes substantial changes to rideshare operations, including mandatory audio and video recording, public disclosure of user comments, and a broad private right of action (PRA). Uber has warned that these provisions are unworkable and legally questionable, potentially forcing the company to cease operations in the state. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Colorado has also voiced privacy concerns, highlighting conflicts with the Colorado Privacy Act and potential impacts on individual riders' data control. Documentation and testimony from both Uber and the ACLU suggest these requirements could violate existing consumer privacy expectations and technical capacities.
The economic implications of losing Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) in Colorado could be significant. According to the Common Sense Institute, if companies like Uber and Lyft exit due to HB 25-1291, Colorado might face a loss of 46,027 jobs, $4.7 billion in GDP, $7.7 billion in total business output, and $3.8 billion in personal income. These figures account for both direct earnings of the state's 34,900 active drivers—who earned an estimated $61 million in April 2025—and the broader economic contributions from TNC activities. The findings underscore the essential role rideshare services play in supporting Colorado's labor force and economic infrastructure.
Uber has cautioned Colorado lawmakers that House Bill 25-1291 could compel it to halt statewide operations due to privacy concerns, legal overreach, and technical challenges. In correspondence with legislative leaders, Uber criticized mandates for mandatory audio and video recording along with broad private rights of action for minor infractions and a ban on arbitration agreements—arguing these measures would increase costs, contravene federal law, threaten rider and driver safety while unfairly targeting rideshare platforms.
Ledford is affiliated with the Chamber of Progress—a center-left tech industry coalition advocating for innovation-friendly public policy. In her testimony regarding HB 25-1291, she criticized the private right of action provision as legally vague and potentially harmful to both drivers and consumers. She argued that this provision could expose individual drivers to frivolous lawsuits for undefined harms while increasing costs across the rideshare ecosystem. Ledford’s policy background includes work on privacy issues as well as liability and tech governance matters.