'Things Are Going to Look a Little Different,' Uber Says

Uber is preparing for business to start picking up again—but "things are going to look a little different for both riders and drivers," says CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. The company says drivers and riders will be required to wear masks or other face coverings, and drivers will have to submit a selfie with a mask on before they can begin a ride, NBC reports. The verification will use the app's existing face-scanning technology, though selfies are not required for riders. "We have put in several checks and balances because this is something that is really shared accountability," Uber's head of safety products, Sachin Kansal, tells CNN.

Kansal says driver and rider feedback will include a new tag for "no face cover or mask," and "if we see repeated violations by the same person, whether it's a rider or driver, we may take additional steps including taking them off the platform." Uber says it will be spending $50 million to provide drivers with masks, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer. The company says users will be to encouraged not to sit in the front passenger seat and to open windows for ventilation, weather allowing. Lyft says it will be taking similar precautions. (More Uber stories.)