Headlines

FTC Sues Uber Over Alleged Deceptive Subscription Practices

Published APR 23 2025

Story

Above: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seal displayed outside its Washington, DC, headquarters on Feb. 24, 2025. Image credit: Al Drago/Bloomberg/Contributor via Getty Images

The Facts

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against Uber on Monday, alleging that the company engaged in “deceptive acts and practices” that violated consumer protection laws through deceptive billing and cancellation practices related to its Uber One subscription service.
Reuters
CNBC
FTC
In the complaint, the FTC accused Uber of making "false" claims about its advertised $25 savings, failing to provide “simple mechanisms” to allow customers to cancel their subscriptions, and “charging … customers without their consent,” including enrolling them in Uber One without their knowledge.
FTC
In a press release, FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson stated, “Americans are tired of getting signed up for unwanted subscriptions that seem impossible to cancel” and that the “Trump-Vance FTC is fighting back on behalf of the American people.”
Federal Trade Commission
In response to the lawsuit, Uber said that it was “disappointed that the FTC chose to move forward with this action” but that it was confident that a court would agree that its “cancellation processes are clear” and insisted that it “does not sign up or charge consumers without their consent.”
Mashable
FOX News
The lawsuit marks the FTC’s first major action against a tech company under Trump's second term, with the agency already pursuing ongoing cases against other tech giants, including Meta, Google, and Amazon.
BBC News
The New York Times
FOX News
This is not the first time Uber has faced FTC scrutiny, with the company settling allegations in 2017 over claims it misrepresented its privacy and data security practices and paying $20 million in 2018 for exaggerating driver earnings potential.
Fortune
NewsNation

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Uber's bad faith practices have forced the FTC's hand. The subscription service's cancellation process is deliberately complex, making it nearly impossible for consumers to stop recurring charges. The company's advertised savings claims are misleading, and many users are being charged without their knowledge or consent. The FTC's lawsuit will hold Uber to account for these deceptive practices.

Federal Trade Commission

FTC

Narrative B

Uber One's sign-up and cancellation processes are clear and simple and follow all legal requirements. The company never charges consumers without their consent, and cancellations can now be completed in-app within 20 seconds. The FTC's complaint misunderstands the facts and the law, and Uber is confident it will triumph in any court.

NewsNation

Mashable