Black Uber Eats Driver Wins Payout Over Biased Facial Recognition Checks

Pa Edrissa Manjang, a Black Uber Eats driver in Oxfordshire, UK, received a payout after facial-recognition checks prevented him from accessing the app, the BBC reported.

Racially Discriminatory Facial Recognition Checks 

Initially, when Manjang began working for Uber Eats in November 2019, the Microsoft-powered app didn’t frequently request facial verification. 

However, as the app’s AI-driven checks increased, Manjang faced an unexpected hurdle.

Manjang said he was asked to take photos of himself “multiple times a day” because the system failed to recognize him.

He told Uber Eats: “Your algorithm, by the looks of things, is racist.”

In 2021, the Uber Eats app said that, after careful consideration, his account would be removed due to continued mismatches.

Manjang Is Reinstated 

This move prompted concerns from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU). 

The EHRC was alarmed that AI tech might have unfairly deprived Manjang of his livelihood, while the ADCU labeled the excessive selfie requests as racial harassment.

Uber defended its real-time ID check system, emphasizing its robust human review process, which is designed to safeguard all app users. 

Manjang has now been reinstated and continued his work with Uber Eats. He described his out-of-court settlement as the end of a challenging journey.