DoorDash improves driver verification process following concerns about traffic safety

DoorDash will require its drivers to verify their identity more often as part of a larger effort to crack down on unauthorized account sharing.

DoorDash has faced pressure to ensure that its drivers are adhering to the law. In response to numerous reports of dangerous driving incidents in different cities, the company vowed to improve its methods for identifying and removing risky drivers. Officials in Boston, New York, and other urban areas have noted instances where individuals with multiple traffic infractions are still able to make deliveries by using accounts registered under different names.

Recently, the San Francisco-based delivery service announced a new policy requiring certain drivers to undergo real-time identity verification immediately after completing a delivery. Previously, drivers were only sporadically prompted to confirm their identities before or after a shift. This updated measure has been implemented in cities like Los Angeles, Denver, and Seattle, with plans for a broader rollout in the coming year.

DoorDash has also introduced a sophisticated machine learning system that can recognize potential unauthorized access to driver accounts, such as unusual login patterns or suspicious behavior. In cases where anomalies are detected, the company will mandate the driver to confirm their identity again before they are allowed to resume making deliveries.

Before U.S. drivers can make DoorDash deliveries, they must verify their identity with a driver’s license or other government-issued identification and upload a selfie that matches their identification photo. They also must submit to a background check, which requires a Social Security number.

But the company has found that some drivers are getting around those requirements by sharing accounts with authorized users. In some cases, drivers who haven’t been authorized to drive for DoorDash are paying authorized users for access to their accounts.

Some federal lawmakers have also demanded that DoorDash and other delivery apps do a better job of keeping illegal immigrants off their platforms. Republican U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana and Ted Budd of North Carolina sent letters to delivery companies in April asking them to crack down on account sharing.

“These illegal immigrants are delivering food directly to consumers’ doors without ever having undergone a background check and often without even using their real names,” the letter said. It added that working illegally can also be dangerous for migrants, creating the potential for exploitation and abuse.

DoorDash won’t estimate how many drivers are using shared accounts, but said its safeguards are effective. Last year, it began asking drivers to re-verify their identities monthly by submitting a selfie. The company said it is now asking more than 150,000 drivers to complete selfie checks each week, and it’s removing them from the platform if they don’t comply.