Can real names make China's ride hailing services safer?
China’s Uber rival Didi Chuxing explores requiring passengers to sign up with national ID
Didi Chuxing taking competition with nemesis Uber abroad
(Abacus is a unit of the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba -- a backer of Didi Chuxing.)
It looks like many of those who responded to the poll support introducing real name registration.
“There can be bad people among drivers, as there can be good people among passengers. That’s why both sides should be subject to strict requirements. Real name registration is necessary,” wrote the top-voted comment.
But others are expressing concerns about personal privacy too.
“It’s needed, but how do you protect personal information?” asked one comment.
Didi says its suggestion is based on real cases. In one, a woman was verbally harassed by another Hitch passenger. The driver intervened, and the victim later complained to Didi. The harasser’s account was banned, but Didi says there was nothing it could do if the person later registers with another phone number.
In another case, Didi says a customer discovered that her phone number has been registered by someone else, leaving her account with a huge collection of unpaid bills.
While the use of real name registration could potentially prevent these scenarios, it’s also hard to see it being replicated in the West. Both Uber and Lyft require nothing more than a phone number or an email address to sign up.
Think twice about the free water when using a ride-hailing app
For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.
For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.