Uber requires drivers to take selfies

Ride-sharing service Uber launched on Monday a new security feature meant to reduce fraud, help drivers guard against “compromised accounts” and provide passengers an additional measure of safety.

The improved security procedure involves requiring Uber drivers to periodically take profile pictures of themselves—or selfies—to allow the service to validate through its internal database whether the person driving the designated vehicle at any given time is the same one declared in the company’s records.

Through the service called “Real-Time ID Check” launched in different countries, Uber said it was able to reduce fraud, helping drivers protect their accounts from being compromised.

“We at Uber are constantly looking for ways to strengthen our technology-enabled security features,” Uber Philippines general manager Laurence Cua said in a briefing in Taguig City.

The security service will require drivers to use a new feature on the company’s smartphone-based software that requires a selfie to be taken before they go online and accept rides.

The photo taken by the driver is then compared to the one already on file with the account.

If the two photos don’t match, the account would be temporarily blocked while Uber representatives would look into the situation, Cua explained.

He said that the security feature would also make Uber riders feel more secure. –Daxim L. Lucas