# Identity Verification



## LuLubella (Jan 20, 2016)

As I logged in to the Uber app, it prompted me to verify my identity by taking a photo of myself via the app. It indicated that my profile would remain the same but they were just making sure I am me. What gives? What is the purpose of this? Is it to ensure that the profile pic I provided is authentic? 
Hmm. Why ask this now after I've done nearly 700 rides?


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## UberJag (Feb 29, 2016)

I just heard people saying this happened to them on the Los Angeles thread. Weird!


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

LuLubella said:


> As I logged in to the Uber app, it prompted me to verify my identity by taking a photo of myself via the app. It indicated that my profile would remain the same but they were just making sure I am me. What gives? What is the purpose of this? Is it to ensure that the profile pic I provided is authentic?
> Hmm. Why ask this now after I've done nearly 700 rides?


It's the new "facial recognition" Uber wants to start employing on drivers. Don't want Dirty Grandpa driving in your place.


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## UberJag (Feb 29, 2016)

SEAL Team 5 said:


> It's the new "facial recognition" Uber wants to start employing on drivers. Don't want Dirty Grandpa driving in your place.


I picked up a pax and she told me she canceled her previous driver because it was supposed to be a woman driver and it was a man! She was a little shaken up about that...I would be too!


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## SEAL Team 5 (Dec 19, 2015)

UberJag said:


> I picked up a pax and she told me she canceled her previous driver because it was supposed to be a woman driver and it was a man! She was a little shaken up about that...I would be too!


Same thing happened to me. I was at a bar and I took this woman home. One thing lead to another and I found out she wasn't a she, she was a he. Yikes, I'm ruined for life. Just a little Friday night humor.


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## Fireguy50 (Nov 23, 2015)

Always check for the Adams Apple!


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## Fireguy50 (Nov 23, 2015)

Honestly this does worry me.
My facial hair changes every 3-7 days, I hope their new security technology is smarter than my mustache!


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## lyft_audi (Mar 3, 2016)

Fireguy50 said:


> Honestly this does worry me.
> My facial hair changes every 3-7 days, I hope their new security technology is smarter than my mustache!


Yup... THIS

My facial hair gets out of control rather quickly


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## Fireguy50 (Nov 23, 2015)

All options I could have any given day

Mustache
Short beard
Goatee
Lazy shaving day


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## Another Uber Driver (May 27, 2015)

UberJag said:


> I picked up a pax and she told me she canceled her previous driver because it was supposed to be a woman driver and it was a man! She was a little shaken up about that...I would be too!


This has happened in the cab business here, in the City, at least, for years. It has been an ongoing problem, about which City Officials have been aware, for years. As a rule, they never would do too much about it, except for the occasional crackdown when the "wrong" person got into the back seat of a cab driven by an unlicenced driver. For years, here, as a rule, the vehicle was legitimate; it was the driver who _*weren't*_.

Usually, it went one of two ways:

1. Driver has hack licence and cab. His cousin, brother-in-law or friend wants to make a few dollars to take his wife out for dinner and a show, or, to buy his children some new shoes and his wife a new hat. He asks cousin to borrow the cab for a few hours. Cousin renders the keys, tells him just to fill up the gasolene tank when he is finished.

2. Four people get together and keep taking the Hack Test. Eventually, one of them passes. Mr. X gets his hack licence, goes to Cab Company #1 and applies to rent a cab. The guy has his hack licence, his driver's licence and his money; why would the cab company not rent him a cab? Mr. X takes the cab and drives it for six hours. He then goes to the parking lot, picks up Cousin Y from his day job there, Cousin Y takes Mr. X home, then drives the cab for six, or so, hours. Cousin Y then goes to pick up Brother-in-law Z at his home, Brother-in-law Z takes Cousin Y home, drives the cab for six, or so, hours, then goes to the For Big Bucks Profit Institute and picks up Uncle A at school. Uncle A takes Brother-in-Law Z home, drives the cab for six, or so, hours, then goes to Mr. X's home, picks him up, Mr. X drives Uncle A home and the cycle starts again.

It is no surprise that people are letting relatives and friends use their TNC accounts. If it happened in the cab business, why would it not happen in the TNC business? In fact, I would hope that the TNCs would have an alert mechanism in place if someone tried to log into the same account from two different devices and would de-activate if it occurred more tha n once, or, at least suspend until the driver could give an account of himself.



Fireguy50 said:


> Always check for the Adams Apple!


Mine does not show. The only time that would apply is if I actually made good on a threat that I made to several regulators when we were discussing the dress code for cab drivers, here. The topic of what was generally considered inappropriate/outrageous dress came up. I threatened to drive my cab while I was wearing a French maid dress, petticoats and high heels and dare the Hack Inspectors or Police to issue me a summons for "Inappropriate Dress". As sympathetic as D.C. is to the GLBTQs, I would be both Chief of Police and Chair of the Taxicab Commission plus have my house paid off by the time that the dust would have settled. Plus, both Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues would have been tied up by protest marches over it.


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## df60532 (Aug 26, 2015)

If they can't already do it, it wouldn't surprise me if they started using the app to randomly "peek" through you cell phone's camera to see who's driving while your online, or when you sign on.


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## Fireguy50 (Nov 23, 2015)

Doubtful, the chance and probability of getting a good angle and lighting is so low they wouldn't learn a thing

Ryan


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## df60532 (Aug 26, 2015)

Fireguy50 said:


> Doubtful, the chance and probability of getting a good angle and lighting is so low they wouldn't learn a thing


I staring directly into my phone when I login. I mount my phone on the dash of my car when I drive. Seems plausible to me.


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## Fireguy50 (Nov 23, 2015)

Login?
My password is saved, and automatically jumps to the home screen


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## Undermensch (Oct 21, 2015)

LuLubella said:


> As I logged in to the Uber app, it prompted me to verify my identity by taking a photo of myself via the app. It indicated that my profile would remain the same but they were just making sure I am me. What gives? What is the purpose of this? Is it to ensure that the profile pic I provided is authentic?
> Hmm. Why ask this now after I've done nearly 700 rides?


It's because some drivers are lending their accounts to other people. That should never happen. Not to mention the fact that the other driver is probably typically someone who couldn't drive due to their criminal or driving record.

So Uber has started periodically verifying that you are the real driver, while driving, so they can stop this practice.

Their insurance probably covers them in cases of fraud like this, but it costs them since the driver hasn't passed any background checks in this case (and might not even have a license). They might be getting a decrease in their insurance costs from validating driver identities like this, or they may at least be preventing it from going up as much by adding this measure. That's my guess.


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## LuLubella (Jan 20, 2016)

Makes sense. Thanks.


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## nomogmos (Feb 6, 2017)

I got the same request, today. It said it was going to take my picture (I guess, so it could compare it with the one on file). 

The problem I had with it is that it authorizes them to take pictures and video. Open-ended. 

One time, for one stated purpose - fine. 

Whenever they want, for whatever purpose they want, for however long they want - NO!


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

This has been happening in Atlanta for at least 2 months. In that time, ive required verification 3 times.


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## wiley21 (Feb 5, 2017)

It's happened to me several times over last few months. I had to do it twice in same day once.


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