Uber Australia banned woman because of her name trends now By Padraig Collins For Daily Mail Australia Published: 03:14 BST, 19 April 2024 | Updated: 03:20 BST, 19 April 2024 Viewcomments A young Sydney mum was banned from the Uber rideshare and food delivery service because her name which, though common in some countries, is considered offensive in Australia and most other places. Swastika Chandra's first name means good luck and prosperity in the ancient Sanskrit language, which is a major part of her identity as a Hindu. But when the Islamist terror group Hamas murdered around 1,200 people in Israel last October, Uber changed its terms around names deemed to be offensive and kicked the 35-year-old mum of one off the app. Ms Chandra grew up in Fiji, where the name Swastika - despite its connections to Adolf Hitler and the Nazis - was not unusual in classrooms throughout her childhood. 'It is a very common name. I personally know four or five other girls with the same name,' she told A Current Affair. 'It means good luck. It means good things for me.' Sydney mum Swastika Chandra (pictured) was banned from the Uber rideshare service because her name which, though common in some countries, is considered offensive in Australia and most other places Swastika Chandra's first name means good luck and prosperity in the ancient Sanskrit language, which is a major part of her identity as a Hindu, but Uber (logo pictured) did not see it that way Her first name is on her birth certificate, her Australian citizenship certificate, her Medicare card and driver's licence, but last October, Uber banned her account. 'I was putting in an order for food one afternoon and went to the payment stage and this pop-up came up saying, "Your first name is in violation and you need to change your name on the app",' she said. Ms Chandra acknowledges that her name is associated with anti-semitism in the minds of most, but she said people need to understand Swastika's origins. 'They don't know that the Hindus used it for thousands of years before Hitler used it in the wrong way,' she said. 'A bit of education, I think, is needed. 'I'm very proud of my name. I believe in the good that comes with it and I'm not changing it for anyone.' Almost six months after banning her, Uber finally admitted having made a mistake in this case, apologising to Ms Chandra and giving her an exemption to get back on the app. She was helped by her case being taken up by Australia's peak Hindu body, The Hindu Council, and support from the Jewish community. 'It is clear in the circumstances that there is a material difference between Ms Chandra innocently, and without malice, using her natural name and the deployment of a sinister symbol to promote hate or foster division,' the Jewish Board of Deputies said in a statement. Ms Chandra is now being honoured by the Hindu community for her courage in standing up to a huge and powerful company and refusing to deny her heritage by changing her name. She also has a message for all the other people who might have a different name to others. 'Don't let the past be a stepping stone for your future,' she said. 'Be proud of your name. It's your identity, it's who you are.' Not only is Ms Chandra's first name Swastika, she wears a swastika (pictured) on a necklace Uber's Australian office said it 'has a global policy of restricting access to users whose names entered into the Uber app contain potentially offensive words. '(But) 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. 'In this case, after reviewing Ms Chandra's request, we reinstated her access to the app.' The company also acknowledged that the situation 'took longer than we hoped it would' to resolve. Read more: Share or comment on this article: Uber Australia banned woman because of her name All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility