Are iPhone Users Paying More? Ola and Uber Face Pricing Scrutiny

Ola and Uber: The Indian government is investigating cab services Ola and Uber for allegedly charging different fares. They are charging different fares based on whether a user books a ride through an iPhone phone or an Android device. This issue was raised in the Lok Sabha. It is raised after multiple complaints suggested that iPhone users were being charged higher fares for identical rides compared to Android users.

Members of Parliament (MPs) Balashowry Vallabhaneni and Ravindra Chavan raised this concern. It is done prompting Union Minister for Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi to respond. He confirmed that the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) had received complaints about price differences. They had also sent notices to both Ola and Uber on January 10, 2025 seeking clarification.

Both companies have denied any such discriminatory pricing. However matter has now been forwarded to the Directorate General for a detailed investigation. If proven, such pricing tactics could be classified as unfair trade practices under India’s Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020.

The Indian government has been tightening its regulations on digital marketplaces. It is doing it by ensuring that online platforms do not engage in deceptive or unfair pricing strategies. This investigation will test the ability of Indian regulators to enforce transparency in pricing models driven by algorithms.

This is not the first time the government has taken action against digital platforms. In January 2025, the CCPA had also issued a notice to Apple Inc. regarding alleged performance issues in certain iPhone models after a software update.