Topline
The Federal Trade Commission is suing Uber for allegedly charging consumers for its subscription service Uber One without consent and making it difficult to cancel, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Uber rideshare vehicles are lined up to pick up passengers at Los Angeles … More
Key Facts
The FTC is alleging consumers are “wrongly promised” savings of up to $25 by the rideshare and delivery company and that Uber is charging consumers before their billing date.
The lawsuit also alleges canceling Uber One is a difficult process that can require users to navigate up to 23 screens to cancel.
The regulator said in a news release the company’s “deceptive” practices violate the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), which prohibits businesses from charging customers before they agree to the terms of the transaction.
Uber is “disappointed” by the lawsuit, a spokesperson said in a statement provided to Forbes, and the company is “confident” courts will rule in its favor.
“Uber One’s sign-up and cancellation processes are clear, simple, and follow the letter and spirit of the law,” the statement said.
Shares of Uber were down 4% to $72 in Monday afternoon trading.
Uber’s Response
Uber says it does not charge consumers without consent, according to an email from corporate communications manager Ryan Thorton responding to the FTC’s individual claims, and that the majority of cancellations occur in-app and take less than 20 seconds. The sign-up process for Uber One shows disclosures on the same screen allowing users to choose a payment method, according to the company. “The unconventional nature of the rushed investigative process that preceded this enforcement action was compounded by the addition of new and unvetted allegations at the last minute,” Christine Wilson, former FTC commissioner and now outside counsel for Uber, said in a statement provided to Forbes. “It is disappointing to see the FTC stray from the rigor and fairness that has long defined the agency at its best.”
Key Background
Uber is the latest defendant in a slew of antitrust suits filed by the federal government in an effort to rein in tech companies. Cases against Apple, Meta, Google and Amazon alleging monopolistic behavior were all filed under President Donald Trump’s first administration and later advanced under the Biden administration, which also filed monopoly cases against Amazon, Apple and Google’s advertising technology businesses. A judge ruled last week that Google held a monopoly over online ad technology, and the Justice Department has requested that the tech giant sell its Chrome browser in addition to other changes to end its online search monopoly.
Further Reading
Dow Slides 1,200 Points As Wall Street Shudders At Ongoing Trade War And Trump’s Attacks On Powell (Forbes)
Google Held Monopoly Over Online Advertising Technology, Judge Rules (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/gennacontino/2025/04/21/ftc-sues-uber-over-alleged-uber-one-deceptive-practices/