Uber Driver Troubles Raise Concerns About Transgender Face Recognition
Uber’s Microsoft-powered Real Time ID Check has locked out some drivers, signaling future struggles as facial-recognition technology becomes more prevalent
By Steven Melendez
An Iowa Uber driver who is transgender was required to travel two hours to a local Uber office after a facial-recognition security feature was unable to confirm her identity, CNBC reports. Uber says such issues can often be resolved with a simple phone call, but for Janey Webb, the driver in question, the issue meant she missed out on about three days of work, including a potentially lucrative July 4.
And, according to CNBC, the problem isn’t limited to her. “I don’t think Uber is this evil company,” said Lindsay, another driver who was suspended for photo inconsistencies. “Yeah, their focus is on profit, and one of those things is automating as much as possible, and when you have a system that is so overly automated, people like myself fall within the cracks.”
