On August 10, a Superior Court judge in California ordered Uber and Lyft to reclassify the state’s drivers from independent contractors to employees within ten days. Both multibillion-dollar firms immediately appealed the decision and peddled very similar messages through the media.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi went on MSNBC to announce that, should the ruling stick, his company may well cease operations in the nation’s most populous state: “If the court doesn’t reconsider, then in California, it’s hard to believe we’ll be able to switch our model to full-time employment quickly.” Lyft soon followed suit, with executives reportedly telling investors they, too, would consider withdrawing should they lose their appeal. Several days later, Uber escalated further, sending their users emails and texts warning of a potential shutdown should they lose their appeal in court.

At first glance, this may seem like an instance of two companies left in the lurch and scrambling to stay afloat once their business models have been upended, which is exactly how they themselves framed it. But that’s not what’s really going on.