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Uber in ‘Swastika’ name U-turn as it restores access to Sydney mum

It’s a win for Australia’s Hindu community and a Sydney mum after Uber agreed that Swastika Chandra could ride in its cars after previously banning her because of her name.

‘Relieved it’s been sorted’: Swastika Chandra. Picture: Britta Campion
‘Relieved it’s been sorted’: Swastika Chandra. Picture: Britta Campion

It’s a win for NSW’s Hindu community and a Sydney mum as multinational Uber – after six months – agreed that the mother named Swastika could access its services unimpeded after previously restricting her account and saying her name was a breach of policy.

Uber has since allowed full ­access to the account – and flagged her name as “valid” – after pressure from the Hindu community and a coalition of faiths. including the Jewish community.

“I’m relieved it’s been sorted,” said Swastika Chandra, who is of Fijian descent and of the Hindu faith. Her name in Sanskrit can mean “divinity, wellbeing and spirituality”.

“I’m incredibly grateful to our community, other faith communities, and the NSW attorney-general that supported and helped me,” Ms Chandra said.

Since October, the mother of one – who had used the app regularly – had been denied access after Uber’s updated global policy in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war flagged her name as a breach of its guidelines clamping down on hate speech.

Ms Chandra’s case received the support of the state’s peak Jewish body, with NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip previously telling The Australian that “discretion” should be exercised, given it was not a case of hate speech.

Ms Chandra, who is proud of her name and background, took up the cause for Uber to reinstate the usage of her name – calling it a “right” and urging the company to better consider the meanings of names across Australia’s myriad faiths. “I was surprised (with them blocking the name) and taken aback,” Ms Chandra said, adding that she had been frustrated it had taken so long and wanted a public apology from Uber.

Uber had deemed Ms Chandra’s name as ‘invalid’, restricting access, after new global guidelines after October 7. Picture: Sarah Matray
Uber had deemed Ms Chandra’s name as ‘invalid’, restricting access, after new global guidelines after October 7. Picture: Sarah Matray

“That Uber could say ‘Stop this person’s name’: who would do that?”

An Uber spokesman said it had apologised to Ms Chandra and the company appreciated her patience waiting for a resolution, “which took longer than we had hoped”.

“Uber has a global policy of restricting access to users whose names entered into the app contain potentially offensive words,” he said, explaining how her name had been deemed “invalid”.

“We understand that there are different cultural nuances to names, and therefore our teams address incidents like this on a case-by-case basis to ensure we evaluate each account fairly.”

Hindu Council of Australia national vice-president Surinder Jain said the council and community were “glad” with the outcome. “We commend Uber for having done the right thing, eventually,” he said, thanking Faith NSW and the state government for their help.

Hindu Council of Australia national vice-president Surinder Jain.
Hindu Council of Australia national vice-president Surinder Jain.

“It is fair to say that Uber and other international companies who are operating in Australia should fine-tune their policies to the laws and sensitivities of the countries they operate in.

“Had it been done when Uber started their operations in Australia, the matter would have been resolved much sooner. A young mum would not have been deprived of Uber services for many months.”

Leaders from Faith NSW – a coalition of the state’s faiths – welcomed the development.

“This incident has highlighted the need for better education and understanding of our diverse communities, particularly when it comes to the difference between the Nazi symbol and the Hindu community’s sacred Swastika,” a statement from co-chair Darren Bark and chief-executive Murray Norman said.

“Greater care needs to be taken to ensure that an algorithm doesn’t replace the very humanity that it is supposed to serve - it cannot be a one size fits all approach.”

“We hope this mistake will serve as a lesson to all.”

Alexi Demetriadi
Alexi DemetriadiNSW Political Correspondent

Alexi Demetriadi is The Australian's NSW Political Correspondent, covering state and federal politics, with a focus on social cohesion, anti-Semitism, extremism, and communities.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/uber-in-swastika-name-uturn-as-it-restores-access-to-sydney-mum/news-story/c84c7a274dcc672b49bc193f92356c0d