The Federal Trade Commission has once again turned its attention to Uber. Bloomberg reported that regulators are investigating complaints about Uber One’s subscription program. Customers claimed that the company enrolled users in the service without their consent and made it difficult to cancel their subscriptions. The European Commission launched the investigation earlier this year, according to documents seen by Bloomberg.
Uber President Noah Edwardsen told the publication, “We will continue to respond to any questions the FTC may have regarding our cancellation policy,” adding, “UberOne’s cancellation process follows the letter and spirit of the law. Uber One members can easily cancel their Uber One membership.” App Memberships — In fact, most cancellations take less than 20 seconds. ”
In early 2024, the FTC approved a “click-to-cancel” rule that requires companies to make ending a subscription as easy as starting it. The regulator has sued Amazon and Adobe over similar allegations regarding subscription products within the past year.
This isn’t the first time the FTC has investigated ride-sharing companies. In 2017, Uber agreed to a settlement with the agency over an issue in which it overstated drivers’ earnings to promote recruitment. The company also reached a data breach and fraud agreement in 2018 that sought to cover up the scope of the problem.
