Taking an Uber? Wear a mask, or risk getting banned from the app

As countries are lifting restrictions all over the world, cab-hailing services such as Uber are beginning to resume their operations. As a part of its new guidelines, the company has made it mandatory for riders and drivers both to wear masks and follow sanitization instructions.

However, if you violate Uber’s guidelines by not wearing a mask or taking it off during the ride, the driver can report you to Uber — and you’ll have to face the music. You will first get a warning from the company. But with multiple violations, the company can kick you out of the platform.

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Sachin Kansal, Uber’s senior director of product management, told journalists on a call that both drivers and riders have to follow the company’s coronavirus-related guidelines strictly. If there are multiple reports against them, the firm can take further action and even ban you from the platform.

Uber didn’t specify how many reports will result in a ban for either driver or rider. It also didn’t say if this ban is permanent or for a short spell. We’ve asked the company for more details, and we’ll update the story if we hear back.

Last week, Uber said that it will use AI to verify that drivers are using masks while accepting a ride. It’ll ask drivers to take a selfie with the mask every time they take a ride.