MIAMI (WSVN) - A popular ridesharing app is implementing a new program that forces some its drivers to take a selfie before their shifts.
According to an article by the USA Today, Uber has developed Real-Time ID Check, which requires their drivers to confirm their identities before heading out on the road. “Driver account sharing or theft is a low-frequency problem right now,” said Uber Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan to USA Today. “but when it happens, it’s a high-severity thing for us, so it makes sense to put our security resources on it.”
Sullivan also added that the ID check method has been tested for months, and “99 percent of the time the photos match up.”
Not every driver will be asked to perform the selfie check, though. Sullivan said the algorithms will determine when the check is needed.
Once the selfie is taken, Microsoft’s Cognitive Services processes the image and uses facial recognition software to confirm the driver’s identity.
“For our customers, we just want to make sure that the trust is there 100 percent of the time,” said Sullivan in the article.
Before the Real-Time ID Check, riders were held responsible for determining if the photo and name matched the driver.
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