User accounts for drivers and food transmitters for ride services are traded on dozens of Facebook groups. By purchasing an account, anyone can, for example, appear as a driver or messenger approved by Uber. Companies are trying to prevent abuse in different ways.
For example, Uber’s driver accounts have been traded on Facebook, says CNN. Illustration. Adobe Stock / AOP
- The user accounts of riders and couriers are traded very openly in Finland.
- The platforms do not allow user accounts to be shared, but it is not easy to miss.
- A recent US report reveals the scope of trading user accounts.
US news channel CNN reported the non -profit From the Tech Transparency Project reportwho reveals that even in full public Facebook groups sell, buy and rent, for example, Uber’s driver accounts.
The international group, which focuses on renting Uber accounts, has over 22,000 members. In one group, the Uber Eats Food Transportation Courier Account was offered for $ 65, or less than $ 60.
According to the report, 80 similar Facebook groups have been identified and their total membership is as many as 800,000. For many groups, they are intended directly from the name of the group, while in others, the activity is only revealed when looking closer.
The Black Stock Exchange groups allow the underlying inspections of the platforms and the driving license requirements. A person purchasing or renting an account may appear as a driver or a transmitter approved by the service, which increases the risks to users.
– Facebook allows this market to flourish, even though the parent company Meta’s rules clearly prohibit fraud and the sale of fake or fake documents, the report states.
Tech Transparency Project leader Katie Paul The phenomenon is very worrying above all for women.
– One of the reasons why Uber has been a particularly attractive option for women has been a sense of security it offers, knowing who the driver is. If this is not the point of using such a platform, Paul is amazed.
The companies comment
Meta, who owns Facebook, commented on the phenomenon to CNN by stating that the company removes groups that break its rules. Five groups of user accounts traded were removed after CNN announcements.
A representative of Doordash told CNN that the company had enhanced the closure of the fraudulent accounts. In addition, it performs more “real -time identity inspections” for its drivers and prevents offenders from returning to the platform. Doordash owns Wolt, familiar to Finns.
Uber stressed in his reply to CNN that the sharing of user accounts is absolutely prohibited. It said it would close the accounts that felt the prohibited action permanently and to report cases to the authorities.
– We have strong protective mechanisms, from creating an account to the end of the trip to ensure that the account is used by its correct owner.
Uber published in January also blog postwhere it took a stand on the phenomenon, telling the identity inspections of its drivers in the United States.
“No system is perfect, but we have developed the industry’s leading processes and technologies to ensure the identity of couriers and to prevent cheaters from reaching our platform,” Uber’s writing says.
According to Uber, its drivers and couriers must regularly take real -time selfie when the application requests it. The image is compared to the driver’s verified profile image. If they do not match, the account will be frozen during the check.
In its report, the Tech Transport Project recommends more work to prevent profiles from sharing. In addition, it requires Meta to interfere with the black market of driver profiles rotating on Facebook by harder.
Of the 80 Facebook groups identified by Tech Transport Project, 73 were still in operation on Monday.