The Federal Trade Commission of the United States has filed a complaint against Uber, alleging that the hail and delivery company has initiated misleading and cancellation practices.
The consumer protection watchdog has accused Uber of invoicing customers for its Uber One subscription service without obtaining their consent and making users difficult to cancel.
“The Trump-Vance FTC ripples on behalf of the American people,” said FTC president Andrew Ferguson, appointed by Trump, in a statement.
Uber spokesperson denied the allegations, and it was “disappointed” that the FTC chose to move forward with the trial.
Launched in 2021, the Uber One subscription service promises users to advantages, including free delivery and discounts on certain rides and orders. The service can be purchased for $ 9.99 per month or $ 96 per year.
In its complaint filed on Monday, the FTC said that Uber had made the suspension of “extremely difficult” subscriptions for consumers, who can be subject to navigation up to 23 screens and to take up to 32 measures if they try to cancel.
In a point by point response, Uber challenged this allegation.
“(C) Annexlations can now be done at any time in the application and take most people 20 seconds or less,” said Uber Ryan Thornton spokesperson in a statement.
Uber said that before, to cancel, the consumer had to contact the support within 48 hours of their next invoicing period, but said it was no longer the case and that customers can cancel at any time.
The FTC also alleges that many consumers have said that they were registered in Uber One without giving their consent. The complaint quotes a consumer who claimed to have been charged despite not having a Uber account.
Uber said in his response that he “does not register or invoice consumers without their consent”.
The legal action against Uber marks the first trial of the FTC filed against a large American technological company since President Donald Trump took office for his second term in January.
The case of the agency against Meta – initiated during the first Trump administration – is now in its second week.
The FTC alleges that the company, which was previously known as Facebook, obtained a monopoly on social media with its acquisitions of the Instagram photosharing application in 2012 and the WhatsApp messaging service in 2014.
Meta said that the FTC trial, which has examined and approved these acquisitions, is “wrong”.
