There's been a slight disruption of Uber's taxi disruption.
District attorneys in L.A. and San Francisco filed consumer protection lawsuits against the company yesterday. The lawsuits say that Uber overcharged customers and misled them about their security when taking a ride in an Uber vehicle. San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascon criticized Uber's inspections of its drivers, going to so far as calling them "completely worthless" because they don't include fingerprints, according to the LA Times. “The company [gives] consumers a false sense of security when deciding whether to get into a stranger’s car,” Gasco said.
Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey of Los Angeles said they aren't trying to shut the company down. "What we're saying is the advertising is false," she says. Uber has also allegedly charged $1 "safe rides fee" for background checks, and the attorneys accuse the company of charges including a $4 "airport fee toll" when riding to or from SFO—regardless if drivers were paying an actual toll during the ride or not.
Fortunately for Uber, they may only be looking at a $2,500 fine per violation, which they'll be able to afford considering they've been valued at more than $40 billion. They still have to worry about being sued by Portland.
