You might want to think twice before riding in an Uber without a mask.
Since May, Uber has required drivers, Uber Eats delivery people, and passengers to wear masks. “Drivers and riders who repeatedly violate mask policies risk losing access to Uber,” the company said at the time. It’s now expanding enforcement to require passengers who fail to wear a mask to prove they’re wearing one on their next ride.
“If a driver reports to us that a rider wasn’t wearing a mask, the rider will be required to take a selfie with their face covered before they’re able to take another trip with Uber,” the company writes in a blog post. “With the addition of this new feature, one driver’s feedback can help ensure the safety of Uber for the next driver.”
The feature will go live in the US and Canada by the end of September, and roll out in other countries after that.
Drivers are already required to take a selfie of themselves donning a face covering before they start picking up passengers for the day. If the driver fails the mask-wearing test, Uber will deny them access to the ride-hailing app.
Uber says it won’t store customer face data. Its system “detects the mask as an object in the photo and does not process biometric information.”
