Maryland has become the latest battleground between ride-sharing firms Uber and Lyft and local politicians seeking biometrics checks for their drivers.
The companies will tell Maryland Public Service Commission that they should not be required to fingerprint drivers, reports the Baltimore Sun.
Under a state law passed in 2015, the companies are required to begin background checking drivers 15 December using the fingerprint database maintained by the state and the FBI, unless they prove their approach is equally effective. Both companies filed separate petitions with the state Public Service Commission, which regulates ridesharing companies, for permission to continue doing background checks their way.
Uber has said it will pull out of Maryland if fingerprinting is enforced. Lyft has not said it would withdraw, but pointed out that it does not operate in any market where fingerprinting is required except New York City.
In September, Uber revealed a new facial recognition-based security feature that will check drivers’ identities across the United States. Called Real-Time ID Check, the security feature uses Microsoft Cognitive Services with the aim of protecting both riders and drivers, the company noted in a new blog post.
Source: Planet Biometrics
EmoticonEmoticon