People are freaking out about Uber's plans to ban riders with low ratings, comparing it to a dystopian Black Mirror episode and China's social credit system
- Uber will soon ban passengers with low ratings, the company announced this week.
- The company did not say what minimum riders would need to meet or what infractions might ding them the most.
- Twitter users compared the new plan to Black Mirror and China's social credit system.
- Want to increase your rating? Here's how, according to more than two dozen drivers.
Uber announced this week that it will soon ban passengers whose rating falls to levels that the company deems unacceptable.
It's similar to the system drivers have long known affected their ability to work, and is part of making respect a "two way street," the company explained in a blog post.
But not everyone is on board with the idea.
Shortly after the plan, but no details on things like minimum ratings, was announced, Twitter lit up with criticism and praise of the forthcoming rules. The overwhelming response was a comparison to a 2016 episode Netflix show Black Mirror, which depicts a world in which all citizens can rate each other. Those scores then have an impact on everything from housing to weddings.
Other people said the move by Uber, which is now a near-ubiquitous service in most major US cities, was akin to China's social credit system, which is designed to reward and penalize people based on their behavior.
Worries about how ratings might differ for groups of people based on things like age, race, and gender were also front of mind.
But of course, the plan did find some fans.
The Independent Drivers Guild, which represents thousands of app-based drivers in New York, praised the move by Uber as a way to protect drivers, especially in the wake of a violent attack caught on video this week.
"Holding riders accountable for their behavior on the Uber platform is an important safety measure to protect drivers as well as fellow riders who may book shared rides," the group said in a statement. "While most riders are respectful, banning riders who threaten driver safety, spew racist rants, and disrespect or damage our vehicles is the right thing to do. For too long there has been one-sided accountability and this is a positive step toward correcting that."
What do you think of the plan? Get in touch with this reporter at grapier@businessinsider.com.
