The ride-hailing company Uber said they employ an independent third party to verify the onboarding process of new drivers on their platform to eliminate individuals with hidden agendas – the company told The Kenyan Wall Street.
In light of recent anti-government protests, concerns have arisen on social media in Kenya, with suspicions that police officers or government agents might be creating accounts on ride-hailing apps.
They could gather information from passengers discussing the protests by posing as regular cab drivers. Some have even speculated that authentic cab drivers may be renting out their vehicles to law enforcement for this purpose, causing public alarm.
Uber has moved to dispel these allegations, saying they have stringent verification procedures for genuine drivers.
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Their “Real-Time ID Check” feature prompts drivers to take random selfies, which are then verified using facial recognition technology against the company’s database.
“Safety is a key priority at Uber and it is important to note that it is difficult for a driver to sign up and start driving on the same day due to the nature of our thorough onboarding process, which includes two background checks and two vehicle inspections,” said the Uber spokesperson who spoke to the news outlet.
Uber said it maintains a strict stance against account sharing, citing it as a breach of their Community Guidelines and undermining the trust they have built over the years.
