A new watchdog report uncovers Facebook groups quietly fueling a black market for operational Uber and DoorDash accounts, posing serious safety concerns for riders and customers.
The Tech Transparency Project (TTP), a research initiative run by the nonprofit the Campaign for Accountability, found more than 80 black market groups through searches for terms such as uber account for rent. Sporting a combined membership of more than 800,000 users and named things like Uber Delivery Drivers Account For Rent or UBER ACCOUNT FOR RENT WORLDWIDE, these groups make no secret of their intent.
Through these online groups, users can acquire delivery or rideshare accounts without going through the required screening process, allowing those without licenses or insurance to drive for these companies. By bypassing the screening procedure, buyers can also skip the required background checks for drivers.
For women or people who may be vulnerable, if the person making a delivery or picking somebody up via Uber has a criminal history, there is an increased risk to those users, TTP Director Katie Paul says.
Paul says that this concern is only the latest content moderation issue in a broader pattern with Facebook and Meta. Past TTP reports have documented a thriving black market for Facebook business accounts, revealing how the platformwhich has over three billion active users worldwide, according to recent financial filingsis being exploited for scams and potential election interference.
This latest TTP report comes as Meta already faces fresh criticism for scaling back third-party fact-checking in January and shifting more responsibility to users to flag harmful content. That decision coincided with Metas launch of the Community Notes feature, which essentially relies on Facebook users to moderate content and flag posts that violate community guidelines. The move was met with widespread backlash, particularly given that it was announced mere weeks before President Donald Trumps inauguration.
According to Paul, though, the change in moderation guidelines made little difference when it came to scams that are at the center of the latest TTP report.
Paul says this recurring issue is especially prevalent on Facebook, largely because of its Group functionality. The platform relies on community moderators and administrators to police contentbut that system breaks down when the groups themselves are designed to enable scams and fraud.
These have essentially become insulated communities for all kinds of nefarious activity, Paul says. Theyre not just groups where people are trying to keep their plants alive.
In October 2024prior to Metas content moderation policy shiftTTP published a report on a pro-Trump scam ad network, uncovering more than 100 Facebook groups dedicated to selling business manager accounts capable of running multiple pages and ad campaigns.
A similar trend was noted in a 2019 report by Talos, Ciscos cybersecurity research division, which found Facebook groups selling cyber fraud services. Some of these groups had been active for nearly eight years, their reach amplified by Facebooks content algorithm.
A Meta spokesperson says the company is reviewing the report and removing content that violates guidelines. The spokesperson adds that Meta does not allow content that offers to buy, sell, or trade any personal identifiable information.
The TTP report arrives as Meta stands trial for allegedly violating antitrust laws, with the Federal Trade Commission accusing the company of using a buy-or-bury strategy to eliminate competition. The case marks a major push to redefine how antitrust rules apply to tech giants, with the FTC targeting Metas high-profile acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsAppeach now boasting nearly two billion monthly active users.
Meta is facing an FTC trial today about whether the platform has monopolized because its gotten so big, Paul says. If the company is not able to control its product because of its scale, it raises a lot of other questions that policymakers really should be looking into.
