Ubers security has lately been compromised in different countries in dissimilar ways. In different countries there have been security reports such as ghost drivers from China or drivers costing an extra fortune for no reason. Some countries have taken the security actions to another level with a new feature that has been introduced. Drivers will require a selfie photo before each shift to verify their identities. Real-time ID check aims to reduce the fraudulent use of a drivers account and provide customers with a great sense of confidence from the company. Due to recent complaints from uber customers about their drivers, security managers have had to boost security levels.

So far this new security method has been implemented in USA.  As soon as they began testing this new system tens of thousands of drivers in the past months and 99% of the time has been matching up. Once the driver takes the selfie it is processed using Microsoft Cognitive Services, a multi-faceted tool that uses face recognition software to confirm the driver’s identity.  The service also takes measurements of the distance between facial landmarks, such as the eyes and ears. If there is no photo match on file for the uber driver, his or her account is immediately shut down until further investigations are done.  This new service will secure both the drivers and riders.

So far the only compromise to the new system is when driver’s photos are unclear; this would mean that a drivers profile would be shutdown simply because of bad lighting. The fact that the verifying process takes such a short time, the feature proactively and effectively builds more security in the app.  The other important safety measure Uber has taken is using GPS and smartphone technology to detect and prevent dangerous driving behaviors such as fast accelerating and hard braking. When riders get in the uber they immediately receive their driver’s names, photo and vehicle information to ensure they get into the right car with the right driver. The app developments have also allowed people to share their journey on a map with friends and family.

 

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