If you read my book “108 Decisions,” you know I was banned for life from UBER for ending a ride early. I filed a complaint with the FTC at the time.
Throughout my career in finance, I attended networking groups. These meetings were moderated to comply with FTC regulations and we were strictly limited in what we could discuss or say. The reason being, one is not allowed to collude with others to potentially damage or put someone out of business, that would be illegal.
These “technology companies” keep insisting we are independent contractors. The passenger and UBER conspired to put me out of business, and they did. At the time it was my only source of income.
So I read with interest the FTC’s new policy statement making enforcement priorities for consumers who work in the gig economy, which you can find here:
What happened to me isn’t explicitly covered by this new policy, however, UBER and the passenger colluded to put me out of business, which is against the law. If you are a rideshare driver that was deactivated based on false statements, I encourage you to file an FTC complaint here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/
Section 5 of the FTC Act bans “unfair methods of competition” and “unfair or deceptive acts or practices.” The FTC has been kicking ass and taking names with the gig economy. In 2018 the FTC sued UBER and won a $20 million dollar settlement because UBER made exaggerated claims regarding how much money a driver could earn. The FTC is all about protecting consumers, I think the FTC should also put the healthcare industry in their crosshairs.