Uber, Lyft Ban Far-Right Journalist Following Islamophobic Tweets

Antonia Blumberg

A far-right media personality has been barred from using two major ride-sharing applications after posting a series of anti-Muslim comments on Twitter.

Laura Loomer, whose bio describes her as a “citizen journalist” who previously worked for Canada’s Rebel Media and undercover watchdog group Project Veritas, tweeted a photo of two women wearing hijabs on Manhattan’s Greenwich Street, near where 29-year-old Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov drove a pick-up truck down a bike path Tuesday, killing at least eight people and injuring 12 others.

Loomer wrote on Twitter that the women were “aimlessly walking around in hijabs,” and “rubbing it in everyone’s faces.”

Loomer also accused ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft of hiring terrorists and complained about not being able to find non-Muslim drivers.

Uber confirmed to HuffPost on Tuesday that Saipov had passed a background check to become a driver for the app in New Jersey. He was an active driver at the time of the attack, having recorded over 1,400 trips in six months, but has since been banned from the app, Uber said.

Saipov was charged in federal court on Wednesday with acting on behalf of the militant group Islamic State.

Loomer appeared to use this information as grounds for raising “safety concerns” about all Muslim taxi drivers.

In the wake of Loomer’s comments, Uber and Lyft confirmed that the commentator had been banned from using their apps on Wednesday.

“This passenger’s account has been deactivated, meaning they can no longer access the Lyft platform,” a company spokesperson told HuffPost on Thursday.

An Uber spokesperson confirmed to HuffPost that Loomer had violated community guidelines and her account was permanently deactivated.

Loomer responded on Facebook and Twitter to the news of her ban, declaring that she would take legal action against the ride-sharing companies.

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Wouldn't it be nice to push a button on your smartphone and have a Mercedes S-Class show up? That's exactly what the founders of the service thought before launching it in San Francisco in 2010.
Wouldn't it be nice to push a button on your smartphone and have a Mercedes S-Class show up? That's exactly what the founders of the service thought before launching it in San Francisco in 2010.

Cashless

The service is cashless. A fare is automatically charged to the credit card on file and a receipt is e-mailed.
The service is cashless. A fare is automatically charged to the credit card on file and a receipt is e-mailed.

Split Your Fare

Sharing the ride with friends? Uber will split the bill and charge separate credit cards. "No more pay-me-backs or IOUs," says the website.
Sharing the ride with friends? Uber will split the bill and charge separate credit cards. "No more pay-me-backs or IOUs," says the website.

Options

Uber lets customers pick a ride that matches their "style and budget." Options range from a low-cost service called uberX to a luxury service called UberLux. Options vary between cities.
Uber lets customers pick a ride that matches their "style and budget." Options range from a low-cost service called uberX to a luxury service called UberLux. Options vary between cities.

Reviews

Riders can rate their experience after a trip and leave additional feedback about the driver.
Riders can rate their experience after a trip and leave additional feedback about the driver.

Investors

Investors in the company include Goldman Sachs, Google Ventures and First Round Capital.
Investors in the company include Goldman Sachs, Google Ventures and First Round Capital.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.