What to know about Turo, the app both trucks used in New Orleans and Las Vegas incidents came from

New York CNN — This week’s deadly incidents in New Orleans and Las Vegas have thrust Turo, a car rental platform, into the spotlight, after the cars used in both attacks were rented through its marketplace. Turo calls itself the “world’s largest car sharing marketplace,” and says it had 350,000 active vehicle listings and 3.5 million “guest” renters on the platform across five countries as of the end of September, according to a securities filing for its planned IPO. Turo’s business grew rapidly in the wake of the pandemic — as travelers began getting back on roads, but didn’t want to pay high prices from traditional rental car companies. The risk factor section of Turo’s prospectus acknowledges that, “We may be found to be subject to liability for the activities of hosts and guests, which could harm our reputation, increase our operating costs, and materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.” And it explicitly acknowledges the company’s exposure to the risk of cars being rented on its platform and used for crime.