Overview
- Waymo’s chief safety officer told a Senate panel that remote assistance operators include workers in the Philippines, describing their role as providing guidance rather than driving the vehicles.
- Senator Ed Markey criticized the practice as a safety, cybersecurity and labor concern, pressing for more transparency about who assists vehicles and how.
- Federal probes by the NTSB and NHTSA are underway after a Waymo vehicle struck a child in Santa Monica, adding to questions about the company’s safety record.
- Waymo’s push into new markets faces uneven local rules, with a delayed DDOT safety report stalling a Washington, D.C., debut and Boston testing limited to cars with human drivers until state legislation passes.
- Backed by a newly announced $16 billion funding round, Waymo continues operating services in six U.S. markets and is seeking further expansion despite regulatory headwinds.