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Uber Updated Its Terms To Ban Flirting Between Drivers And Passengers

This is the first time Uber has issued guidelines like these for its passengers. Users who violate the rules could be permanently banned.

Uber Updated Its Terms To Ban Flirting Between Drivers And Passengers
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Uber updated its community guidelines Thursday to restrict passenger activities like vandalism, "vomiting due to excessive alcohol consumption" and flirting.

This is the first time Uber has issued guidelines like these for its passengers. Should users violate the rules of unacceptable behavior, they could be permanently banned.

These new rules come after a difficult year for the ride-sharing app. 

In March, BuzzFeed News obtained internal Uber data that stated the company recorded five rape claims and "fewer than" 170 sexual assault claims directly related to riders using the service between December 2012 and August 2015.

SEE MORE: Uber And Lyft Seem To Have A Racial Discrimination Problem

And just last month, Uber Technologies Inc. settled a lawsuit filed by two separate women. The women sought justice for alleged sexual assaults by their Uber drivers.

The settlement followed a federal judge's ruling that the company is in fact responsible for the actions of its drivers, who are classified as contractors rather than employees.

Although Uber's statement announcing the guidelines didn't reference these examples, or others related to sexual assault, it did include this: "As a reminder, Uber has a no sex rule. That's no sexual conduct between drivers and riders, no matter what."