The Federal Trade Commission filed a civil lawsuit against Uber Technologies Inc. and Uber USA LLC on April 21, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Case No. 3:25-cv-03477, alleging the company enrolled consumers in its Uber One subscription service without consent, misrepresented savings, and designed a cancellation process to obstruct users who sought to exit the program [1][2]. A coalition of 22 state attorneys general and one county district attorney joined the action [2].
The FTC's complaint centers on three categories of alleged misconduct. First, the agency contends that Uber charged consumers for Uber One, a subscription priced at $9.99 per month or $96 per year, without obtaining their affirmative consent [2]. Second, the complaint alleges that Uber advertised savings that consumers could not actually realize under the program's terms [2]. Third, and most specifically, the FTC alleges that consumers attempting to cancel were forced to navigate as many as 32 steps across 23 screens before the cancellation was completed, a design the agency characterizes as a dark pattern intended to suppress attrition [2]. The FTC brings the action under the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act, or ROSCA, which prohibits charging consumers in internet commerce without express informed consent and requires simple cancellation mechanisms [1][2].
The breadth of the coalition amplifies the action's practical weight. Attorneys general from jurisdictions spanning the country, including Washington, D.C., joined the federal filing, signaling coordinated enforcement pressure at both the federal and state levels [3]. The case is styled as a federal civil action, meaning the FTC seeks civil monetary penalties and injunctive relief rather than criminal sanctions. No consent decree or settlement has been announced.
The suit is the first prominent technology enforcement action brought by the FTC under the current administration, and its bipartisan coalition structure suggests that ROSCA enforcement around subscription commerce retains political traction across party lines [2]. Uber has not publicly stated whether it will contest the complaint or seek early resolution. The case now proceeds to the pleadings phase in the Northern District of California, where the court will set a schedule for Uber's response and any preliminary motions. Observers watching the FTC's enforcement posture under the new leadership will treat the agency's litigation conduct here, including whether it presses for trial or settles, as a signal of institutional priorities.