A new update to Uber policy prohibits riders and drivers from carrying "firearms of any kind" in Uber vehicles. The updated rules quietly popped up on the ride-sharing company's website last week, amid renewed calls across the country for gun control following the mass shooting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Uber's policy update is meant to ensure that everyone "feels safe and comfortable using the service." Riders or drivers that violate the new policy could lose access to Uber's services. This new policy is a reversal of a previous Uber rule that allowed guns inside vehicles as long as the carrier had a permit.
Uber is far from the first major company to move toward banning guns. Panera Bread, Starbucks, Target, and Chipotle have all made headlines for taking similar stances. Uber's biggest competitor, Lyft, also prohibits guns inside its vehicles.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.