ATLANTA — Uber announced Thursday that it is launching its rider verification pilot program in Atlanta which will "help confirm that Uber riders are who they say they are" and "give drivers additional peace of mind."
The feature will be activated today, April 18. According to Uber, only some riders and drivers will initially see the feature as it launches, and that "all riders and drivers will see this feature in their app in the coming weeks."
The program is also being rolled out in other cities, including at least Chicago according to local reports there.
According to a release from the company, the verified rider program will include a blue-checkmark style "verified" badge for rider profiles that will be visible on their account pages. Drivers will be able to see whether a rider is verified or not when deciding whether to accept a trip.
Uber said in its release it will cross-check account details such as names and phone numbers with third-party databases as part of its verification process.
"Most rider accounts will become verified using account details, with no additional action needed from riders," the company said. Riders who are not automatically verified will be able to upload identification to receive the badge, Uber added.
The company also said that verification data will be stored securely and identification uploads will be encrypted, and noted that the last names and phone numbers of riders are not shared with drivers -- Uber drivers see a rider's first name, star rating, trip details and, starting today, the verified badge.
The company provided images of what the new blue checkmark will look like on account profiles:
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