Imran Raja fired after Uber Eats ID software failed to recognise his face
Imran Raja was dismissed from Uber after the company's facial recognition software failed to identify him during a verification check. Raja's termination led to the revocation of his private hire licence by Transport for London (TfL), which deemed him "not fit and proper" to drive. The dismissal left Raja without income for three months, severely impacting his mental and physical health, as he struggled to support his family during this period. Raja's account was eventually reactivated after Uber acknowledged the error, but he could not work until TfL reinstated his licence two months later. Multiple drivers have reported similar experiences with Uber's " Real-Time ID Check ," which has been criticised for effectively discriminating against individuals with darker skin tones. The App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU) indicated that at least seven drivers have been wrongfully dismissed due to failures in the facial recognition system, prompting legal action against Uber for potential racial discrimination. System 🤖 Real-Time ID Check Operator: Imran Raja Developer: Microsoft Country: UK Sector: Transport/logistics Purpose: Verify driver identity Technology: Facial recognition Issue: Accuracy/reli ability; Bias/discrimination Regulation ⚖️ UK Equality Act 2010 Legal, regulatory 👩🏼⚖️ Mr P E Manjang v Uber Eats UK Ltd and others: 3206212/2021
- Date it happened
- 2020-10-01
- Organisation involved
- Uber/Uber Eats
- Product, system or model
- Real-time ID Check
This incident was imported from AIAAIC and is used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Our additions to it — the structured fields, the translation, the checks against other reports — are published under the same licence.
This is a record of what was reported, not a finding that anyone broke the law. If it names your organisation and you believe it is wrong, the corrections process is free and open to everyone.