Uber will now require drivers to take selfies to prevent fraud and protect their accounts from compromise.
Uber drivers will take the selfies prior to signing onto the platform and accepting ride requests. The Real-Time ID Check will prompt drivers to share a selfie before going online to help ensure that the driver using the app matches the account on file.
Most identity mismatches over the past few months were due to unclear profile photos. If two photos don't match, the account is temporarily blocked while Uber investigates the situation. More than 99 percent of drivers were ultimately verified.
Robin Tombs, CEO of Yoti commented: “Uber making its drivers verify their identity with a selfie is a great step when it comes to improving safety levels within the service. On demand and peer-to-peer platforms, including organisations such as Uber and Airbnb, face huge challenges when it comes to security and authentication. They need to find a balance between effective security and a great user experience, which will keep customers coming back again and again. With selfie authentication, customers can see the identity of the person's car they are getting into, or home they are staying at, quickly and easily. For the driver, it's a simple process that will ensure customers feel safe and, in turn, come back to use the service again.”
“Uber's announcement marks part of a larger trend towards the use of biometrics, whether that be the use of a heartbeat, fingerprint or a selfie. In the near future, consumers will be able to prove who they are online using biometrics verified to e-passports and other documents across a whole host of sites, from online dating to banking, eliminating the use of a traditional password altogether,” Tombs concluded.