Uber Drivers Can Report Canadians For Not Wearing Masks & You'll Need Selfie Proof To Ride

No mask, no service!
Senior Writer

Don't forget your facing covering when getting a ride! The Uber Canada mask policy not only requires you to wear one but soon drivers can report you for not covering your face. If that happens, you'll need selfie proof to get a ride again.

The ride-hailing company announced a new feature that will be rolling out across Canada by the end of September. It's rider mask verification.

When you get into a car, the driver can report you for not wearing a mask.

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If that happens, the next time you request a ride, you'll have to take a selfie that shows your face is covered before you can take another Uber trip.

In the app, you'll be told that masks are mandatory and other things you need to do for a ride like cleaning your hands before getting in, sitting in the back seat and rolling down the window if possible.

You also have to check off that you're wearing a mask.

If the driver of a recent trip you've taken reported that you weren't wearing a mask, you'll be told that.

Then you will have to take a selfie with your mask or face covering on.

Once the app has verified that you're covered up, you can confirm your ride.

This new feature is meant to keep everyone safe and one driver can help protect the driver of the next car you get into.

The technology only detects the mask as an object in the photo, it doesn't process any biometric information.

Both riders and drivers can cancel a trip without facing any sort of penalty if the other isn't wearing a mask.

Each Uber driver has to complete a checklist about safety measures.

They also have to take a selfie to verify that they're wearing a mask.

If they're not covered up, they can't go online and get ride requests.

In May, Uber made masks mandatory for all riders, drivers and delivery people.

Free masks have been given to drivers and delivery people so that they can wear them and be safe when interacting with others.

Cleaning supplies have been given out as well.

  • Senior Writer

    Lisa Belmonte (she/her) is a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), she joined the Narcity team. Lisa covers news and notices from across the country from a Canada-wide perspective. Her early coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic earned Narcity its first-ever national journalism award nomination.

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