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Delhi Uber 'Threat of Murder' Alert Traced to Translation Error

The driver’s Hindi message meant he was outside Mother Dairy, not in danger.

Overview

  • Meta engineer Arnav Gupta said an Uber notification told him the driver wrote, “I am facing the threat of murder,” moments after he asked the driver to wait two minutes.
  • On opening the chat and selecting “see original,” Gupta found the app’s auto-translation had misread a Hindi location update referencing Mother Dairy.
  • Gupta suggested his UK-set account may have prompted the app to show the English translation in the notification rather than the original text.
  • His X thread, including screenshots, drew amused reactions and renewed attention to risks of automated translation in ride-hailing chats.
  • News18 contrasted the benign mix-up with a separate Noida case in which police arrested a taxi driver after passengers reported threats and assault.