Viral Food Delivery Whistleblower Claims Exposed as AI Hoax

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. — Viral claims alleging unethical practices by major food delivery companies, including assertions about manipulated delivery times and hidden driver scoring systems, have been widely debunked after independent reporting found the source of the allegations to be an apparent AI-generated hoax. The claims originated from a Reddit post published in early January by a newly created account using the name “Trowaway_whistleblow.” The post alleged that an unnamed food delivery company deliberately slowed standard orders to make priority deliveries appear faster and used a so-called desperation score to route lower-paying offers to certain drivers. The post quickly gained traction, reaching Reddit’s front page and spreading across platforms including TikTok and X. Subsequent investigations by independent journalists determined the claims were not supported by verifiable evidence. Reporting by Platformer found that the individual behind the post attempted to substantiate the allegations by providing reporters with an employee badge image and a purported internal technical document. Both were later determined to be fabricated. According to Platformer, the badge image was flagged by Google’s SynthID watermark detection tool as having been edited or generated using Google AI. The alleged internal document contained technical inconsistencies and language that former industry engineers described as implausible for real corporate materials. The source stopped responding to reporters and deleted messaging accounts when asked to verify their identity. Additional reporting by The Verge reached similar conclusions after testing the original Reddit post with multiple AI-detection tools and independently verifying the badge image. While AI-detection tools produced mixed results on the text itself, reporters confirmed the image provided as proof of employment was AI-generated. Uber also denied the claims and said the badge image did not belong to a real employee. The Reddit post was later removed by moderators, who cited violations of platform rules. The individual behind the account did not provide verifiable proof of employment at any delivery company and did not publicly identify which company the allegations were meant to target. As the claims spread online, they were frequently misattributed to DoorDash, despite the original post never naming the company. DoorDash has denied the allegations. CEO Tony Xu said in a public post on X that the claims were not accurate and stated that the practices described would not be tolerated within the company. “This is not DoorDash,” Xu wrote. “I would fire anyone who promoted or tolerated the kind of culture described in this Reddit post.” Industry experts and journalists noted that the allegations gained traction in part because of long-standing public criticism of gig economy companies. They emphasized that skepticism toward large platforms does not replace the need for verified sourcing and corroborated evidence. Media analysts also pointed to the episode as an example of how generative AI tools can be used to create convincing but false materials, complicating the verification process for journalists and the public alike. The ease with which fabricated documents and images can now be produced has increased the risk of misinformation spreading rapidly before it can be fully vetted. No evidence has emerged to support claims that DoorDash, Uber Eats or other delivery platforms intentionally delay nonpriority orders, use hidden desperation-based scoring systems, or divert customer fees away from drivers in the manner described in the viral post. Artificial intelligence tools have advanced to the point that a single viral post, amplified by one or two influential voices who believe it to be authentic, can spread rapidly across social platforms and reach even well-established, credible sources. Cleveland 13 News initially reported on the public concerns generated by the widespread circulation of the post, not as a confirmation of its claims. Subsequent reporting and direct communication with DoorDash representatives provided additional clarity, and the company was responsive and forthcoming in addressing questions as more information became available. -------------------- At Cleveland 13 News, we strive to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable reporting. If you spot an error, omission, or have information that may need updating, please email us at tips@cleveland13news.com. As a community-driven news network, we appreciate the help of our readers in ensuring the integrity of our reporting.