Brazil’s Antitrust Body May Reopen a Probe Into Uber

Regulation

Brazil’s antitrust regulator may revive a shelved investigation into Uber over alleged abuse of its market power. The move is part of a wider push against the reach of app platforms.

A board member of the regulator, CADE, signed an order this week proposing that its tribunal take over the inquiry. The order was published in the official gazette on Tuesday.

The case against Uber

The inquiry examines whether Uber abused its dominant position in the market for ride-hailing apps. It began with a complaint from a Brazilian startup called StopClub.

StopClub makes a tool that lets drivers work out how profitable each ride is, by the kilometre and by the hour. It says Uber tried to obstruct it through lawsuits and threats to cut off drivers who use the service.

CADE’s investigative arm, the Superintendência-Geral, had shelved the case. The board member’s order proposes the full tribunal reassess it, which would reopen the matter.

Why the case is being revisited

The order gives two reasons. First, it says earlier technical notes did too little to test Uber’s defence that its restrictions protect user privacy and safety.

On that point, it suggests CADE consult Brazil’s data-protection authority, the ANPD, which was never contacted during the original review. The second reason concerns the handling of the case itself.

Reopening is not a verdict. The tribunal must still decide whether to take the case back, and any finding of wrongdoing would come only after a fuller investigation.

A wider push on platform power

The move does not stand alone. Days earlier, CADE reopened a separate case in the food-delivery market, reviving a shelved probe into the app 99Food over its contract terms.

For a foreign reader, the thread is the theme. Brazil’s regulator is taking a harder look at how a handful of powerful apps shape competition in ride-hailing and delivery alike.

The specific worry is a familiar one abroad. Regulators increasingly ask whether dominant platforms use lawsuits and platform rules to box out smaller rivals rather than compete on merit.

For Uber, the stakes are reputational as much as legal. A reopened case keeps its Brazilian conduct under official scrutiny in one of its largest markets outside the United States.

Why might CADE reopen the Uber case?

A CADE board member proposed that its tribunal take over a shelved inquiry into whether Uber abused its dominant position in ride-hailing. The order argues earlier reviews barely tested Uber’s privacy defence and suggests consulting Brazil’s data-protection authority.

What is the complaint against Uber about?

Startup StopClub, whose tool helps drivers calculate ride profitability, says Uber tried to block it through lawsuits and threats to remove drivers who used it. The case examines alleged abuse of Uber’s dominant position in the app-transport market.

Is this linked to the food-delivery cases?

They are separate cases, but part of the same trend. CADE recently reopened a probe into delivery app 99Food and is mapping competition risks across app platforms, signalling broader scrutiny of market power.

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