<p>Uber announced a series of changes to its app on Wednesday, including a feature that will block customers with low ratings from obtaining rides. ;</p>
<p>At the end of each ride, the Uber ;app prompts the rider and driver to rate each other on a scale of 1-5 stars. Starting September 19th, riders with a rating lower than 4 will be banned from the app for ;6 months. ;</p>
<p>Riders will receive a warning message and a chance to increase their rating before they are blocked.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Ideally, we don&rsquo;t want people to lose access, we just want an environment of mutual respect,&rdquo; says Australia-based Uber executive Susan Anderson. ;</p>
<p>The average Uber customer in Australia has a rating of 4.5 or higher.</p>
<p>&ldquo;To get to a number as low as 4 ;there really needs to have been multiple instances of 1-star ratings, and complaints from a number of different drivers,&#8221; says Anderson. The policy will impact only a &ldquo;small percentage of riders who are persistently not treating drivers with respect.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Common complaints from drivers that might affect your rating include:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Requesting to be picked up in a no-stopping zone</li>
<li>Starting inappropriate conversations</li>
<li>Leaving trash in the car</li>
<li>Slamming the door</li>
<li>Being a back seat driver</li>
<li>Requesting unplanned stops ;</li>
</ul>
<p>Other changes to the app include ;2-factor login, real-time insurance information, and erasing riders&rsquo; pickup and drop-off addresses. The changes, which will affect customers in Australia and New Zealand, are designed to improve safety and efficiency.</p>
<p>The company has also reminded users about its no sex rule, which states it is inappropriate for riders to comment on a driver&rsquo;s appearance, ask them about their relationship status, or arrange a personal visit after the ride has been completed. ;</p>
<p><strong>Author&#8217;s Note:</strong> Uber&rsquo;s new policy has been compared to China&rsquo;s &ldquo;social credit system,&rdquo; where individuals are banned from public transportation for misdeeds. ;</p>
<p>While Uber&rsquo;s policy is nothing like China&rsquo;s, it could cause serious problems if the system is hacked. It&rsquo;s one thing for a company to keep track of its own employees and store feedback from customers, but it&rsquo;s another thing entirely to do this to your customers. ;</p>
<p><strong>Editor&#8217;s Note:</strong> Even with the Supreme Court ruling that a certain baker doesn&#8217;t have to make certain kinds of cakes, this makes me very uncomfortable from both rights and privacy perspectives.</p>