Uber Instituting Selfie ID-Verification Feature Dylan Duarte September 23, 2016 News Uber is rolling out a new safety feature that will require drivers to take occasional selfies in order to verify their identity. The measure originated in China, where there’s been an issue with fake drivers climbing behind the wheel of a car. If that doesn’t terrify you, I don’t know what will. Uber first announced the Real-Time ID Check tool back in April, and the tool will use Microsoft’s Cognitive Services to match “clear, well-lit selfies” against the driver photo that the service has on file. This is meant to protect drivers as well as passengers. Drivers don’t want their jobs stolen just as much as passengers don’t want to climb into a car with an identity thief. However, there’s likely another reason for Uber’s new security feature, and that’s to prevent drivers from sharing their accounts with friends. That’s been a problem for Uber in the past, and having to check-in at random intervals will certainly put a stop to it and ensure that the only person behind the wheel is the person file. It will be interesting to see how this works out, especially if the software isn’t up to snuff and drivers are constantly locked out of their accounts due to errors in picture recognition. Share This With The World!