Politics

Zohran Mamdani hints he will continue taking on delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash

Zohran Mamdani stands in a dark suit and tie in an indoor setting with ceiling panels behind him.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani touted the city's efforts to protect delivery workers using apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats. Adam Gray/Bloomberg/Getty Images
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani isn't done going after delivery apps.

Mamdani on Wednesday touted a new city report that found the crackdown on what it called "deceptive tipping practices" by food-delivery platforms has resulted in an additional $104 million in tips for delivery workers since January.

"Uber Eats and DoorDash hid tip buttons and set default tips below 10%. As a result, tips for delivery workers fell 79%," Mamdani wrote on X. "In January, we made these corporations change their apps."

"This is only the beginning," he added, suggesting the city would continue to address the experience of workers on delivery apps.

The city said tips have doubled since the tipping protections took effect in late January, and that the 70,000 delivery workers in the city were on track to each earn, on average, an additional $2,287 in tips annually.

"Today's $104 million victory is part of city hall's larger effort to hold delivery apps and mega corporations accountable," Mamdani said at a press conference, noting a settlement the city reached in January requiring Uber Eats and other delivery apps to pay more than $5 million, some of which went to delivery workers.

He also said the city increased funding for the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection by over $4 million in June to increase staff and enforcement of these laws intended to protect New Yorkers.

"The days of city hall accepting corporate abuse as the cost of doing business here in New York City are over," Mamdani said, adding, "I am confident that more wins are on the way."

DoorDash and Uber did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The tipping laws that took effect in January required delivery apps to display the option to tip at checkout, rather than after, and set a minimum recommended tip of 10%.

John Horton, head of North America public policy at DoorDash, previously told Business Insider that the city's findings about its tipping practices were "flat out wrong."

"Moving tipping to after checkout isn't novel or nefarious," he said. "It's how tipping works in many areas of life."

DoorDash and Uber sued the city over the tipping laws in December, arguing they violated federal and state law and would pressure customers into tipping.

Update: July 30, 2026 — This story has been updated to include a statement from DoorDash.

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Kelsey Vlamis
Kelsey Vlamis is a senior reporter for Business Insider, where she covers business and tech news. She also writes business stories about travel, luxury, and culture. Previously, she covered the environment, outdoors, and indigenous issues.Her feature story "Disaster at 18,200 feet" received awards from the New York Press Club and the North American Travel Journalists Association, as well as honorable mention from the Society of American Travel Writers. She has also received an American Journalism Online Award for her coverage on missing and murdered Indigenous people in Wyoming.She's appeared on CBS, NPR, NBC, and other outlets to discuss her reporting. She previously worked on the world news desk at the BBC in London and received a master's in journalism from Northwestern University.She can be reached by email at kvlamis@jkmperu.com or via the encrypted-messaging app Signal at kelseyv.21.