At Uber, safety is a top priority. Taking steps to verify your identity helps us confirm that the person using your account is you—and not someone pretending to be you. We do this to help keep our users safe, and to help prevent unauthorized people from using your account.
Depending on the legal requirements and technical feasibility in a given market, we may take steps to verify your identity in various ways.
The below identity verification tools haven’t been launched in certain markets where local regulations restrict the use of biometric technologies, such as the European Union, United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
Where Uber requires or allows riders to submit their ID number and/or take a photo of their identification card, we’ll complete a verification of the ID to confirm that it’s valid, unaltered, and that no other account is associated with that document.
Where Uber requires or allows riders to submit a real-time photo of themselves, we may use facial recognition technology to compare your photo with photos submitted by other users we have on file to help prevent use of our services by unauthorized persons.
In some countries, Uber may ask riders to submit a real-time selfie along with a photo of their identification card. Using liveness detection technology, we may first verify that these are real, live photos that haven’t been digitally altered or manipulated. Next, using facial recognition, we may compare your selfie with the photo in your ID to make sure it’s the same person.
In addition to ID and selfie verification, Uber may require users to verify their identity a second time in order to receive certain products or services, such as car rentals through Uber Rent. In this case, once a user successfully completes the ID and selfie verification step, you may be asked to submit a second selfie at vehicle delivery or pickup. Using facial recognition technology, we’ll verify that your second submitted selfie is of a real, live person, and then compare that selfie to your previously submitted selfie to make sure it’s you who is picking up the vehicle and not another, unauthorized person.
If we can’t verify your identity (including because you fail to submit the required information), you may be unable to use certain Uber products or services, such as requesting a trip, car rentals, or item delivery. In certain countries, you may be unable to use Uber products or services using an anonymous payment method (such as cash, Venmo, or a gift card), and you may have to upload a credit or debit card as a payment method on your Uber account.
In some cases, your identity may be verified by a trusted vendor. These third parties are contractually prohibited from processing or sharing your information for any purpose other than to verify your identity and documents on Uber’s behalf. They must also keep your information secure, and aren’t allowed to retain it for longer than necessary to perform their services.
Some of Uber’s services and features require that we share personal data with other users or at a user’s request. For example, to enable the rides or deliveries you request, we share your first name and request pickup, dropoff, or delivery location with the driver or delivery person. We may also confirm with your driver or delivery person the fact that you have completed an account or identity verification process. Uber doesn’t otherwise share your information with drivers or delivery people.
We may disclose account information to US law enforcement where required by legal process in accordance with the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and other legal authorities, or in an emergency situation in accordance with our law enforcement guidelines. We may also share such data with our affiliates, subsidiaries, and partners, for legal reasons or in connection with claims or disputes. For more information, please see Uber’s Privacy Notice.
Yes, all drivers and delivery people are required to submit identity verification documents and other information when creating an account to use the Uber platform. Drivers and delivery people are also required from time to time to take a selfie in order to confirm that their selfie matches their account profile photos. They must also submit new documents if their verification documents expire.
Uber is committed to keeping your personal data safe and secure. This includes encrypting the documents and other information you submit to verify your identity, preventing use of them for unrelated purposes, and retaining them for only as long as necessary for the purposes for which we collected them, in accordance with applicable law and in a manner consistent with our Privacy Notice.
If you have a problem verifying your identity or if you think our systems have made a mistake, please contact Uber Support.