Uber Technologies Inc. was sued by the US Justice Department over claims that the ride-sharing giant dis
criminates against people with physical disabilities in violation of federal law.
The department’s civil rights division alleged in a complaint filed Thursday in federal court in northern Californi
a that Uber drivers routinely refuse to accommodate passengers who travel with service animals or who use stowable wheelchairs.
Uber has been sued repeatedly by passengers over alleged violations of the Americans With Disabilities A
ct. In 2021, Uber agreed in a settlement with the Justice Department
s of riders and to make policy changes after it was accused of charging discriminatory fees due to disability.
The company said it disagrees with the government’s allegations.
“Riders who use guide dogs or other assistive devices deserve a safe, respectful, and welcoming experi
ence on Uber — full stop,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement. “We have a clear zero-tolerance policy for confirmed service denials.”
Every Uber driver “must acknowledge and agree to comply” with
pplicable accessibility laws before using its driver app, the spokesperson add
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ed. The company takes “decisive action” if a violation is confirmed, including permanent account deactivation, he said.
Shares of Uber pared gains to trade 0.7% higher at 2:14 p.m. New York time after news of the lawsuit broke.
The Justice Department said in its complaint that after it notified Uber of its investigation, the company introdu
ced an optional self-identification feature that allows riders to disclose to a driver that they will be traveling with a service animal.
“But Uber has continued to discriminate against riders who use servic
e animals notwithstanding the feature,” the government’s attorneys wrote.
The case is United States of America v. Uber Technologies Inc., 25-cv-7731, US District Court, Northern District of California.
Photo: The Uber Technologies headquarters in San Francisco. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg