Taxi aggregator Uber was accused of using a ‘racist’ facial-recognition system to identify drivers. The Association of Drivers of Apps and Couriers in Great Britain (ADCU) filed the suit against the company.
BREAKING: in global first, the ADCU launches legal action against Uber’s racist facial recognition software.https://t.co/cTIT96AXjV
— ADCU (@ADCUnion) October 5, 2021
The union said it was taking action after the unjust dismissal of former Uber driver Imran Javid Radji and former Uber Eats courier Pa Edrissa Mandjang due to unsuccessful verifications using facial-recognition technology.
“Last year Uber said it was an anti-racist company […]. But instead of eradicating racism, Uber has embedded it in its systems, resulting in daily discrimination against employees,” said Yasin Aslam, president of ADCU.
According to him, under an Uber license granted by the London authorities, failed verification attempts in the app are reported to the city transport regulator, which can revoke driving licences.
Simultaneously, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain backed a similar lawsuit by another former Uber driver who was also dismissed due to a failed biometric identification attempt. According to them, at least 35 taxi drivers faced similar problems.
The organisation called for an end to the use of a ‘racist facial-recognition algorithm’ and the reinstatement of drivers who had been disconnected.
[1/6]🚨 End #RacistUber Algorithms! 🚨
Alongside @ukblm, we demand @Uber stop firing its BAME drivers because of a racist facial recognition algorithm. Share this thread, join the 24-hour #UberBoycott and sign the letter now to support striking drivers!https://t.co/D0mXnCp6pf pic.twitter.com/NIWW8iQpfr
— IWGB (@IWGBunion) October 6, 2021
Uber rejected the allegations, saying that it is committed to stamping out racism and to fighting for equality—inside and outside the company. According to the statement, driver biometric checks ensure passenger safety.
“There are always at least two human expert reviews before any decision to remove a driver is made,” the company said.
Uber has used Microsoft’s facial-recognition technology since April 2020. However, in 2019, the software developers acknowledged that it does not always work well for people of colour and may fail to recognise them.
Earlier in April, a Briton accused government AI of racism due to facial-recognition errors.
In early April, the facial-recognition algorithms of the student-surveillance program during exams were accused of bias against Black students.
In early 2019, a Black American man spent ten days in jail due to a facial-recognition error.
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