One day this spring, Abiodun Ogunyemi, an Uber Eats driver with an approval rating of 94 per cent, peered into his phone and read the words: “We have made the difficult decision to end our partnership with you.”
Ogunyemi was being fired. Uber’s facial recognition software, called the Real-Time ID system and made by Microsoft, had failed to recognise him. This triggered the company’s safeguarding protocols – which stops people other than drivers using an account – and terminated his profile.
“We understand that this news can be upsetting, but our decision is final and Unchangeable” the message went on, bold type included.
Ogunyemi, 46, was confused at first, then angry. He’d done nothing wrong. “I’ve always worked according to the rules,” he said. He spent weeks trying to clarify,…