Uber is upping its game when it comes to the safety of its drivers and riders with a new system that requires drivers to confirm their identity before each shift by taking a selfie.
Called Real-Time ID Check the selfie taken is matched to a photo on file to ensure the driver providing rides is actually driver on the account.
While the incidence of driver identities being stolen is pretty low, the results in the rare instance it does happen could be disastrous, Uber officials noted.
During a trial run with “thousands of drivers” more than 99% of drivers using the system were able to match their selfie to their on-file photo. Officials note that in the cases where there was a problem, most of the time it was related to the quality of the selfie, such as a picture taken in low light.
In addition to preventing fraudulent use of a driver’s account the move is designed to give riders greater comfort in knowing that the driver they’ve contracted is actually the driver in the profile.
“Our Global Safety Team continues to explore technologies that keep riders and drivers safe and secure,” wrote Joe Sullivan, Uber’s chief security officer, in a blog post.
The company notes that not every driver will be asked to perform the new selfie check to avoid delays or other problems. Instead, the system relies on algorithms to determine when a check may be needed, such as when a driver seems to be often signing into their account from a different phone or location.
“Humans can easily distinguish if two faces are the same person, but it’s a little trickier for a computer,” Microsoft corporate vice president Andrew Shuman told USA Today.
Facial recognition software has been around for year, but until recently it has been limited to governmental and law enforcement agencies. However, now it’s in use in a variety of arenas including computer companies installing it on their new products to ensure only the owners or approved users are getting on to machines.
While it may not be a big problem, issues aren’t unheard of.
The Taxicab, Limousine and Paratransit Association, which actively lobbies against Uber and other ride-sharing companies, runs a website, WhosDrivingYou.org, that provides links to more than 20 accidents and incidents in 2016 involving ride-sharing drivers
Uber drivers aren’t completely unfamiliar with the spotlight, including last year when a Kalamazoo, Michigan-based Uber driver shot and killed six people in between driving shifts.
Like many companies, Uber is seeking ways to allay consumer fears about privacy and safety concerns and this is just the latest effort in that battle.
“For example, we’ve begun using GPS and smartphone technology to detect and prevent dangerous driving behavior such as fast acceleration and hard braking.
“Riders receive their driver’s name, photo and vehicle information to ensure they get into the right car with the right driver. We’ve built into the app easy ways for people to share their journey on a map with friends and family.”
