Business

Ex-Uber driver takes legal action over ‘racist’ face-recognition software

An Uber driver who lost his job when automated face-scanning software failed to recognise him is accusing the firm of indirect race discrimination in a legal test case.

The black driver, who worked on the Uber platform from 2016 until April 2021, has filed an employment tribunal claim alleging his account was illegally deactivated when facial-verification software used to log drivers on to the ride-hailing app decided he was not who he said he was.

The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which is backing the action, claimed at least 35 other drivers had had their registration with Uber terminated as a result of alleged mistakes with the software since the start of the pandemic. It is calling for Uber to scrap the “racist algorithm” and reinstate terminated drivers.

Uber said it “strongly refutes the completely unfounded claims” and that it was “committed to fighting racism and being a champion for equality – both inside and outside our company”. The firm said the checks were “designed to protect the safety and security of everyone who uses the app by ensuring the correct driver is using their account”. Drivers can choose human verification of their picture, and when technology is chosen “there is always a minimum of two human expert reviews prior to any decision to remove a driver”, she said.

Uber has used the software since April 2020. In 2019 Microsoft, which makes the software, conceded facial recognition software did not work as well for people of colour and could fail to recognise them.

Studies of several facial recognition software packages have shown that error rates when recognising people with darker skin have been higher than among lighter-skinned people, although Microsoft and others have been improving performance. Uber said its software did not rely on scanning large numbers of faces, which had been blamed for introducing error. Rather it verified an already uploaded picture of the driver against their freshly submitted selfie.

In London, nine out of 10 private hire drivers are black or black British, Asian or Asian British, or of mixed race, according to a recent survey by TfL.

“Uber’s continued use of a facial recognition algorithm that is ineffective on people of colour is discriminatory,” said Henry Chango Lopez, general secretary of the IWGB. “Hundreds of drivers and couriers who served through the pandemic have lost their jobs without any due process or evidence of wrongdoing.”

A Nigerian driver who worked on the Uber Eats platform in Manchester until he was locked out in March after several failed attempts using the facial verification software, said his family had faced “serious suffering” as a result.

Abiodun Ogunyemi, a married father of three, said he had run up debts so large he could not afford his son’s bus fare to get to school. He says the photo on Uber’s records did not feature the longer hair or beard he currently has, but he has a distinctive scar over one eye and the rest of his face is visible. “I feel the algorithm is discriminatory to people of colour,” he said. “I know about five black people the same thing has happened to.”

Uber said anyone removed from the platform could appeal against the decision, with an additional human review.

On 10 April the driver in the test case, who asked not be named, tried to log on for work by submitting a photo through the app, but received a message from Uber saying he had failed to verify his identity and he was locked out of the system for 24 hours. He submitted a second photo after that period, which did not work either.

According to his claim, four days later his account was deactivated and he was sent a message stating: “Our team conducted a thorough investigation and the decision to end the partnership has been made on a permanent basis. The matter is not subject to further review.”

His case is also being backed by the Black Lives Matter organisation which said: “The gig economy, which already creates immense precarity for Black key workers, is now further exacerbated by this software.”

Microsoft declined to comment on an ongoing legal case.

Business

MTN under attack as hackers breach network

MTN Nigeria on Friday, April 25, confirmed that it was recently targeted in a cyber attack but has moved to calm concerns, assuring customers, partners, and stakeholders that its key systems and customer data were not compromised.

The telecoms giant in a statement released on Thursday, April 24, revealed that it had detected unauthorized activity within its network, and had acted swiftly to isolate and neutralize the threat.

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola disclosed that the attackers had sough to disrupt operation, but their attempts were unsuccessful.

He emphasized that the incident did not affect Nigeria specifically, and critical infrastructure, including customer information and core business functions, remained secure.

“We take cybersecurity very seriously and have robust systems in place to detect, isolate, and neutralize threats. Although this attack attempted to breach our defenses, our security protocols worked as intended, and our core infrastructure remains secure,” Toriola stated.

The telecom giants did not however reveal the nature or origin of the cyberattack on its systems, cybersecurity analysts warn that telecom companies across Africa are becoming prime targets for cybercriminals. This growing threat is linked to the sector’s vast subscriber base and the continent’s rapidly expanding digital economy.

An internal source within MTN confirmed that the breach did not affect operations in Nigeria, reinforcing the company’s earlier statement that local infrastructure and services remain intact.

The attack comes at a time when Nigeria is accelerating its digital transformation agenda, an ambitious effort that places increased responsibility on service providers to strengthen their cybersecurity protocols.

MTN has pledged to work closely with cybersecurity experts and government authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident. The company also affirmed its commitment to bolstering its systems and defenses to prevent future breaches and safeguard customer trust.

Business

Air Peace to resume flight operations nationwide

Lagos to Abuja now costs N100,000 as operators list challenges

Air Peace has said that it will resume flight operations on Friday following suspension of strike by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) workers.

The airline’s Head of Corporate Communications, Dr Ejike Ndiulo, made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday night in Lagos.

According to Ndiulo, Air Peace is grateful to its customers and the general public for patience, understanding and support throughout the period of the strike.

”Your resilience and trust in our brand mean the world to us

“We commend the active and decisive intervention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), whose leadership and commitment were pivotal in resolving the impasse and restoring normalcy within the aviation industry,” Ndiulo said.

He noted the minister’s swift engagement with aviation stakeholders, his transparent approach and his dedication to the stability and progress of the aviation sector.

According to him, Keyamo’s efforts not only facilitated timely resolution of the industrial dispute but also underscored his broader vision for a safer, more efficient and investor-friendly Nigerian aviation industry.

Ndiulo reaffirmed Air Peace’s commitment to providing safe, reliable and world-class services.

NAN reports that NIMET workers on Thursday shelved the strike which began on April 22 following Keyamo’s intervention.

The workers downed tools in protest of alleged poor working conditions, including non-implementation of the 2019 Consequential Adjustment to the National Minimum Wage (affecting at least 30 staff).

They are also demanding a 25/35 per cent salary increase, 40 per cent hardship/peculiar allowance, and annual staff trainings.

Keyamo had promised to find lasting solutions to the problems.

Business

BREAKING: Air Peace suspends flight operations nationwide

Air Peace Ltd. has announced the suspension of all flight operations nationwide due to the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET).

This is contained in a statement signed by the Head of Corporate Communications, Air Peace, Dr Ejike Ndiulo, on Wednesday in Lagos.

According to Ndiulo, the decision is necessary because NiMet is the agency responsible for issuing CNH (Current Nowcast of Hazardous Weather) reports, critical for safe landings, especially during this season of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.

He said without these reports from the control tower, flight safety could not be guaranteed.

“As a safety-first airline, we have chosen to act responsibly by suspending operations until NiMet resumes full service.

“We understand this may cause inconvenience, and we sincerely apologise. Passengers will be contacted with updates and options for rescheduling,” he said.

The staff of NiMET on Tuesday commenced an indefinite strike over the condition of service and other demands.