Cab-hailing service Uber has launched facial recognition technology for drivers as it works on improving rider safety in the country The new safety feature, called Real-Time ID Check, asks drivers to periodically share a selfie in the Uber app before they are allowed to accept ride requests. The selfie is uploaded then compared, using facial recognition technology, to the image that the company has on file for the driver, and if the two images don’t match, the driver’s account will be temporarily blocked. READ MORE: Google trade secret lawsuit could be Uber’s undoing – analyst This means a driver won’t be allowed to go online to accept rides until Uber has investigated the situation. Alon Lits, Uber’s general manager for sub-Saharan Africa, says the safety update will protect drivers from fraud, theft and risks. “Riders are also protected as it assures that when they’re picked up, the right person is behind the wheel,” he says. “As our technology and insights continue to evolve, so will the way riders and driver-partners who use the app.” The increased security measures follow a series of attacks on passengers that have occurred in the country over the past year. READ MORE: Precautionary measures to take before taking an Uber In one incident in July last year, a woman was kidnapped, assaulted, robbed and raped after getting into what she thought was an Uber in Fourways, Joburg. In another incident, a woman was strangled by two men who were hiding in the backseat of the car, while in September a couple were assaulted, robbed and held against their will before being abandoned in Tembisa, east of Joburg.
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 upload it to the Uber app in order to continue accepting riders, with Uber verifying the image to ensure it matches company files. The safety update will be launched in South Africa in a bid to offer increased security following attacks on passengers over the past year.