Australian regulator sues Uber for misleading fares, seeks $19 million penalty

FILE PHOTO: A screen displays the company logo for Uber Technologies Inc. on the day of it's IPO at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., May 10, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

(Reuters) -Australia's competition watchdog is suing Uber Technologies Inc and seeking a A$26 million ($18.69 million) fine from the ride-hailing platform after it admitted to misleading consumers about ride fare estimates and cancellation fees.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Tuesday said https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/uber-in-court-for-misleading-statements-about-uber-taxi-fares-and-cancellation-fees Uber admitted that between December 2017 and September 2021 it warned consumers they would be charged fees for cancelling rides even though the cancellation was sought during its "free cancellation period."