Uber announces new security measure in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya to tackle threats
Uber has announced that it is deploying a new security feature to tackle potential security breaches that could put the lives of its driver-partners/ passengers at risk.
The Real-Time ID software which has since been put to use in South Africa is now been introduced among Uber cars in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya in a bid to further improve passenger/drivers’ security.
The technology works by prompting driver-partners to periodically share a selfie in the app before going online and accepting rides. Uber then compares this photo to the one corresponding to the account on file.
This software works on facial recognition technology and begins by identifying the drivers face, then it builds a feature set by focusing on key features, and finally, compares the feature set to the validated photo Uber has on file. If the two photo’s don’t match, the account is temporarily blocked while Uber investigates the situation.
“During our pilot of Real-Time ID Check over the past few months in South Africa, we learned that more than 99% of drivers were verified. This new feature makes sense as a simple action of taking a selfie is a language that people all over the world understand. This extra security feature does not inconvenience driver-partners, which is extremely important for us, “Alon Lits, General Manager for Uber sub-Saharan Africa explains, Protects drivers’ accounts
Real-time ID check assures riders that when they are picked up, the right person is behind the wheel. This prevents fraud and protects drivers’ accounts from being compromised. An important part of safety is verifying that the driver-partner who is picking up riders is the same person who underwent Uber’s screening process.
This helps Uber to ensure in real time that the driver-partner using the app matches the account it has on file. Given that verification takes only a few seconds to complete, this feature proactively and efficiently builds more security into the app.
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