Uber launches new verification for riders and 'Record My Ride' feature
Uber introduced new changes to its app to improve the safety of its users by launching new verification for riders, and a feature that enables drivers to record video and audio during trips.
The new Uber verification feature will be made available nationwide on Wednesday and the company's "Record My Ride" is already available for all drivers after a successful pilot, according to an announcement from Uber on Tuesday.
In an exclusive first look on "Good Morning America," which aired on Wednesday, ABC News transportation correspondent Gio Benitez provided a walkthrough of how the new verification process is being used to make sure riders are who they say they are.
"So, most Uber users will be automatically verified," Benitez explained. "You won't have to do anything, but if you do, this is how you do it."
On your profile, Benitez said users can select identity verification to add their ID.
"Choose ID, and it's basically going to ask me to take a photo of the ID and a selfie because it's going to match the two photos," he continued. "I'm taking a photo of my ID and now it's asking me to take a selfie."
Once the process is completed, a blue check will appear on the user's account.
Speaking to "GMA" in an interview aired on Wednesday, Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber, agreed when Benitez described the feature as almost similar to "TSA pre-check."
"Exactly and see, I say pre-check makes everyone on the plane feel safer," he said, adding that the feature will also benefit the riders especially when requesting drivers during late nights.
"If you have a verified badge, you have an advantage over someone who might not be verified in a driver accepting a ride," he said.
Uber driver L. Denise told "GMA" she would be more likely to pick up verified riders for peace of mind.
"If you're verified, it just helps us say, 'Yep, we'll get that ride,'" she said. "You'll get a ride quicker. You won't have to wait. You won't have to get canceled on once people know, like, 'Hey this neighborhood, I'm really not sure about it,' once you're verified, it just makes life easier for everybody."
Another feature Uber launched to provide extra layers of protection for drivers is "Record My Ride."
The feature allows the drivers to use their front-facing camera to record video and audio during trips.
Recordings are encrypted directly on the driver's device and cannot be accessed unless the driver submits the file as part of a safety report.
Riders will also see a notification in the app if they are matched with a driver with the feature enabled.
The new added level of security came after several recent attacks on drivers, including one incident that was caught on camera that took place in New York City in August when a woman pepper-sprayed her Uber driver and was later charged with assault.
The woman, Jennifer Guilbeault, 23, was later arraigned on charges of assault as a hate crime, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. She was granted supervised release following the arraignment and is due back in court on Oct. 3.
Shortly after the incident occurred, an Uber spokesperson called the woman's actions "deplorable" in a statement to WABC in August.
"Violence is not tolerated, and the rider has been banned from the Uber platform," the statement read. "We will support police in their investigation however we can."
