Good morning, Chicago.
Uber will launch a pilot program today in Chicago and 11 other cities around the U.S. to verify riders on the app for increased safety for drivers.
The new safety feature means riders using Uber will be verified on the app and have a blue checkmark badge added to their profile for drivers to see.
Heather Childs, chief trust and security officer for Uber, said in an interview Wednesday the new feature is “something drivers have been asking for” to promote safety on the platform.
“Drivers want to know more about the people who are entering and exiting their vehicle,” Childs said. “We want to know that riders are who they say they are, and we have to send a clear message that if you’re looking to do harm, Uber is not the place to do it.”
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Shanzeh Ahmad.
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