California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) posed a legislative threat to Uber. By extending employee classification status to gig workers, all of Uber’s drivers would be classified as full-time employees. If AB5 passed, Uber’s operating costs would increase by millions of dollars, and its driver community would have its flexibility curtailed. Uber and its drivers shared a common interest in defeating this legislation but lacked the platform to coordinate their efforts.
Uber approached Countable to build an online community for its drivers centered around sharing information and resources. With a rapid turnaround, Countable launched independentdriver.org - a site fully branded by Uber that enabled drivers to create and upload personal videos telling their stories about why they wanted to remain as independent contractors.
A referendum has been placed on the November 2020 ballot to overturn AB5. Uber and its drivers recorded hundreds of videos that resulted in tens of thousands of page views.