A social media-led boycott of Uber has ensued due to the company’s handling of the protests against Trump’s Muslim ban.
Advertisement
Interestingly, Uber’s rival Lyft was spared similar backlash on social media despite continuing to offer rides during the strike.
Things took an ugly turn when the raid-hailing app Uber announced during the same time that it was slashing its prices by eliminating the “surge pricing, that normally kick in during periods of increased demand”.
Seizing on the opportunity and noticing many #deleteUber tweets referencing them, Uber competitor Lyft announced it was donating $1 million to the ACLU, which is leading the charge against the Muslim ban arguing it is unconstitutional. Uber stated it simply wanted to be paid to do the work of striking taxi drivers.
Hundreds of Uber users have taken screenshots of themselves deleting the ride-hailing app, accusing it of profiting as NY taxi drivers held a strike against President Donald Trump’s ban on Muslim travellers and refugees. The strike, which was in solidarity with protesters at JFK and other airports around the United States, encouraged drivers from Uber and Lyft, a rival car-sharing service, to join in.
Its chief executive has also caught flack for taking a seat on a business advisory council for the new president, leading for calls to #deleteUber to trend on Twitter.
Facebook, Google, Airbnb, Starbucks, Lyft, Intacart, Dropbox, Etsy, Linkedin, and Lyft are just a few examples of large tech companies speaking out after Trump’s executive order banning entry from middle-eastern countries. However, the hashtag’s popularity demonstrated how American consumers are using a different tactic to show their displeasure with what they view as Trump-supporting companies.
In other words, Kalanick’s intention to financially support Uber drivers affected by the ban and further, to discuss amending the ban with Trump, were not enough for Wilde. They allowed surge prices knowing that taxis were not on the road.
Advertisement
First, as tech industry heavyweights on Saturday started to decry US President Donald Trump’s immigration ban as “un-American” and “bigotry”, Uber’s Travis Kalanick, who serves on a strategic forum of business leaders advising Trump, issued statement seen as lightly critical, if that.
