Consumer Watchdog Alert Details Uber Example of Surveillance Pricing Uber Tells Us One Thing and Does Another
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A short consumer alert video produced by Consumer Watchdog details Uber appearing to engage in surveillance pricing and questions whether it is lying about the practice.
Consumer Watchdog's Justin Kloczko compared two identical Uber fares from the Chicago suburbs to the airport, yielding different prices.
"Everything as far as I could tell—time, route, duration, type of ride, location—was the same. But the prices were different," said Kloczko in the video. "I was charged over a dollar more. Why?"
According to multiple reports, Uber has repeatedly denied using surveillance pricing, including recently in the New York Times. Uber said it "did not consider anything beyond geographic factors and demand in setting prices."
"So if Uber only considers "geography and demand" in fares, then why were the prices different for the same exact ride?" said Kloczko. "Was it because Uber knew I had a flight to catch that day? Was it because I was charging my low battery? Was it because they knew something about my financials? We can only speculate."
The video discusses a new pricing disclosure law that has taken effect in the state of New York.
"It requires retailers that use personalized pricing to post the following disclosure: "THIS PRICE WAS SET BY AN ALGORITHM USING YOUR PERSONAL DATA."
And Uber is one of those companies who started posting the disclosure. So it begs the question: what other personal data is Uber using that it isn't telling us about?"
Consumer Watchdog sponsored California legislation this year that would ban the practice of surveillance pricing, AB 446 (Ward). The bill passed the Assembly but has not moved out of the Senate.
SOURCE Consumer Watchdog
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