Ride - hailing firm Uber has launched a new facial recognition feature called Real - Time ID Check to improve safety for riders . Drivers must take a selfie at regular intervals and save it to the Uber app in order to continue accepting rides , with drivers verifying the image to ensure it matches company files . Google trade secret lawsuit could be Uber’s undoing – analyst The security update will be launched in South Africa in a bid to address increased security following attacks on passengers over the past year .
Ride - hailing firm Uber has launched a new facial recognition feature called Real - Time ID Check to improve safety for riders . Drivers must take a selfie at regular intervals and save it to the Uber app in order to continue accepting rides , with drivers verifying the image to ensure it matches company files . The security update will be launched in South Africa in a bid to address increased security following attacks on passengers over the past year .