• Grab continues to raise transportation safety standards for the industry, first in Southeast Asia to roll out free in-app calls (VoIP) and facial recognition technology for passengers (Passenger Selfie Verification)
• This is a continuation of Grab’s strong commitment to drive towards zero preventable incidents on its platform and build a #SaferEveryday for every Indonesian to live in
• In celebration of Kartini Day, Grab continues to empower women to pursue their personal goals in life without fear or favour by training 100 women driver-partners in the Jabodetabek area on self-defense led by actress and former pencak silat athlete, Prisia Nasution

Jakarta, 22 April 2019 – Grab, the leading everyday super app in Southeast Asia, today strengthened its commitment to bring about a safer Indonesia for all through the launch of two new industry-leading safety innovations – Free Calls (VoiP) and Passenger Selfie Verification. Grab is the first in Southeast Asia to pioneer these protective safety features as part of its safety technology roadmap, as it drives towards its goal of bringing preventable incidents on its platform down to zero and building a #SaferEveryday for every Indonesian.

An extension of Grab’s number masking technology, VoIP allows for free app-to-app calls between passengers and driver-partners, while protecting their personal privacy and safety. Passenger selfie verification, an advanced facial recognition technology, captures the identity of first-time users through a live selfie. This feature improves safeguards against crimes towards driver-partners and serves as a strong deterrent. Since its initial roll-out early this year, passenger and driver-partners related crimes on Grab’s platform have declined by 45% as a result of passenger and driver-partner selfie verification being launched as a requirement for all new users, giving our driver-partners a greater peace of mind.

In celebration of Kartini Day, Grab has also conducted self-defense training, led by actress and former pencak silat athlete, Prisia Nasution, for 100 women driver-partners in the Jabodetabek area to equip them with basic martial arts skills. This is a continuation of Grab’s commitment to empower women to pursue their personal goals in life without fear or favour. Last year, Grab has also partnered with state institution National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) to develop best practices in managing and preventing sexual violence incidents, and in training its driver-partners on anti-sexual violence guidelines. To support women who have already been impacted by sexual assault or are unable to speak up for themselves, Grab has also teamed up with the Pulih Foundation, an Indonesian non-profit that provides psychological counsel and social assistance for victims of sexual violence. Pulih Foundation has trained Grab’s Customer Experience team on psychological first-aid training to better equip them when faced with complaints of sexual violence. Together, Grab and Pulih Foundation will help provide counselling services for driver-partners and passengers who have experienced sexual violence.

As a pioneer in setting a high bar for safety standards in Indonesia, Grab is building the safest platform for all users. Neneng Goenadi, Managing Director Grab Indonesia, said, “Safety is never an afterthought at Grab. It’s the premise on which Grab was founded 7 years ago. It’s the first problem that we want to solve for transportation safety. We have been the first in Southeast Asia to pioneer safety innovations such as Share My Ride, Emergency SOS button and Number Masking, and today, we are happy to continue to push the envelope with VoIP and Passenger Selfie Verification to bring about even safer rides for all Indonesians. As we become Southeast Asia’s everyday super app, we have already extended this safety-centric ethos across the entire Grab ecosystem – from food delivery, logistics to cashless payments, and will continue to do so.”

Grab’s latest safety innovations

Picture 1. The display of the Free Call (VoIP) feature in the Grab app

Feature #1: Free Call (VoIP) – Have you ever run out of phone credit when you want to contact a Grab driver-partner? Or felt worried that your personal phone number will be misused after you contact your driver-partner? An extension of the number-masking feature you currently enjoy which masks the personal mobile numbers of users and driver-partners, you can now choose the “Free Call” option that will enable you to make calls for free within the Grab app. Besides protecting your safety and privacy, this feature also helps facilitate easy communication after you have booked a ride.

“During an initial rollout to around 50% of Grab users between December 2018 and March 2019, this VoIP feature has not only contributed to protecting user privacy, but more importantly, reduced call or text harassment between passengers and driver-partners by 64%,” said Neneng.

Feature #2: Passenger Selfie Verification – Majority of passenger-related crimes are committed by first-time users. This facial recognition technology serves to deter these bad actors who are looking to engage in criminal activities and improve safeguards for our driver-partners against these potential crimes. Now, passengers who sign up with Grab for the first time will undergo live selfie verification as a form of identification before they start booking their first ride.

Photo 2. How to use the passenger selfie verification feature in the Grab app

Neneng explained, “Our experience shows that bad actors who are looking to engage in criminal activities would do so when they first sign up with Grab. Through the latest passenger selfie verification innovation, we want to protect our driver-partners by improving safeguards against these potential crimes. We are also proud to announce that this passenger selfie verification innovation is a global industry first, and affirms our strong commitment to set the highest bar for transportation safety standards in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. This feature complements the facial recognition process that we have rolled out for our driver-partners since the middle of last year to protect our passengers. This complete facial recognition solution will help to create a safer Grab ecosystem for everyone – both passengers and driver-partners.”

These features will further strengthen Grab’s industry-leading safety technology roadmap to build a safer Indonesia for everyone. Some of the pioneering initiatives that Grab has already rolled out include:

• Number Masking – Through this feature, Grab will use a virtual phone number on each ride made through the application so that the driver-partners and passengers will not have access to personal phone numbers. This feature has been launched for all Grab users in Indonesia.
• Emergency Button – This feature allows users to register three emergency contacts in the Grab application. In the event of an emergency when traveling with Grab, users can press the “EMERGENCY” button and the Grab system will automatically send a warning message to the emergency contact that has been previously registered. Users can also choose to trigger an alert to an appointed security agency.
• Share My Ride – Through this feature, passengers can share a link that connects their Grab ride with their closest contacts, who can track them in real time. Passengers can share this link with instant messaging applications, social media, and more.
• GrabSiaga Safety Camera – In partnership with JVCKENWOOD, Grab installs in-car safety cameras for driver-partners to deter inappropriate behavior or aggressive driving.

The Free Call (VoIP) and Passenger Selfie Verification features have been gradually rolled out to Indonesian users, and will be fully implemented by the end of this month. In the near future, Grab will extend its VoIP feature to GrabFood and GrabExpress users for easy communication with delivery and merchant partners.

#KarenaAman: you simply need to update your Grab application to enjoy these safety features.