Back in April, Grab announced that it would implement facial recognition technology into its app. The feature is known simply as Passenger Verification, and starting from 12 July onwards, all passengers will be required to take a selfie as a form of verification.
Grab says that the selfie verification will be a one-off situation and that it will be mandatory for all passengers, old and new. As part of the new regulatory requirements set forth by the Transport Ministry.
The implementation date is somewhat convenient for Grab, as 12 July is also the last day that all Grab drivers will need to have a PSV license in order to continue to stay in operation.
The ride-sharing service says that both the selfie image and identity of the passenger will be secured and assures consumers that it will not be shared with its driver-partners and merchants. On a side note, Grab says that its facial recognition technology is advanced enough, it can actually detect if the person’s face in view is real or not, as well as reject any images it deems to be inappropriate.
