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Compulsory selfies for Uber drivers

Picture Credit: inbatmania.com
Picture Credit: inbatmania.com

Not too many people can claim that they’re taking selfies because their job compels them.

Uber announced on Wednesday that its “driver partners” will be prompted to submit a selfie before going online and accepting a ride request‚ allowing the company to compare the selfie with the photo they have on file for the driver.

“Sometimes it will be random‚ and sometimes it could be triggered by other indicators including rider feedback or suspicious behaviour‚ such as driving two consecutive trips on opposite sides of a city‚” the raid hailing company said in a statement.

“Drivers will not be able to pick up riders if they refuse to submit a photo; and it must match the account photo we have on file in order to drive with the app.”

The compulsory selfie is designed to improve security for both riders and drivers‚ Uber said.

For drivers‚ it prevents fraud and protects their accounts from being compromised‚ ensuring that only they can access the account.

“And it protects riders by building another layer of accountability into the app to ensure the right person is behind the wheel‚” Uber said.

“While visual recognition has existed for a while‚ this is the first time it has been applied on such a scale to enhance security for both driver-partners and riders.”

Not all Uber drivers will be required to submit selfies right away — the new requirement will be phased in gradually.

 

— TMG Digital

 

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