Uber to require US drivers to take selfies before picking up rides

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Uber drivers in the US will be required to take a selfie before they accept a ride to make sure they are who they claim to be.

Drivers will be expected to take a “clear, well-lit” photo of themselves when they first go online and then periodically throughout their shift.

Facial recognition software will then be used to verify the identity of the driver in the car.

The new “Real-time ID” feature is marketed as a tool that will protect drivers from fraud, but it will also help stop multiple people from sharing one account.

"Given that verification takes only a few seconds to complete, this feature proactively and efficiently builds more security into the app,” Uber's security chief, Joe Sullivan said in a statement.

"This is Uber acknowledging drivers share their accounts and the company's efforts to reduce this practice," a spokesperson for the Who's Driving You campaign, a group promoting for-hire taxis told The Verge.

Uber has enlisted the services of tech giant Microsoft to help roll out the scheme in the US.

According to one Uber representative, a driver gets three attempts to take a photo that is verified. If it still does not match, the the profile will be deactivated.