Latest Sharing Economy Headlines
All the headlines from our Sharing Economy Topic Page, ordered by recency.
BMW to Test Autonomous Vehicles in Munich in 2017
Dec 5 2016 // BMW will test autonomous vehicles in Munich next year as it seeks to keep up with ride-hailing firms like Uber, which have spent billions on pay-per-use personal transport. The German carmaker will have about 40 vehicles...
Uber Case in Europe’s High Court Could Affect Sharing Economy Firms
Nov 30 2016 // Uber defended its business model in Europe’s highest court on Tuesday, saying its service had made it easier for people to get around and cut pollution as it fights a case which could leave app-based startups facing...
EU Court to Decide Whether Uber Is an App or a Transport Company
Nov 30 2016 // Fifteen judges at the European Union’s top court are trying to decide, once and for all, whether Uber Technologies Inc. is an app or a transport company. The question has long vexed regulators and lawmakers across...
Uber Looking to Begin Service in Wyoming for First Time
Nov 28 2016 // The ridesharing service Uber is looking to begin service in Wyoming, one of the few states where it’s not yet doing business. Wyoming law will need to be changed before ridesharing services may operate in the state....
Unions, Gig-Economy Firms Prepare for New York Benefits Battle
Nov 28 2016 // Faced with a barrage of lawsuits from workers demanding benefits and recognition as employees, some companies in the fast-growing ‘gig economy’ are looking to settle the issues through legislation. Joseph...
Uber Working to Settle with California Drivers over Employee Benefits
Nov 17 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc. is trying to finalize a settlement with California drivers to resolve potentially billions of dollars in claims stemming from the company’s refusal to give them the protections and benefits of...
Sharing Economy Requires More Sharing Between Underwriting, Claims
Nov 16 2016 // The sharing economy poses new challenges for insurers including new exposures from technology and a need for better communication between claims and underwriting. That’s according to members of the International...
Atlantic City Ride-Hailing Drivers Face Legal and Regulatory Hurdles
Nov 14 2016 // Joshua DeLeon earned $200 a week driving for Uber, a side job he used to buy an engagement ring for his girlfriend. Then he got a $300 ticket from Atlantic City for operating without a proper license, and he quit. “I...
Home-Share Site Airbnb Loses Round in Fight Against City Regulations
Nov 9 2016 // Airbnb Inc.’s claim that it’s just a conduit for user-generated content was rejected by a judge who said the company may not be able to duck a San Francisco law punishing it when hosts book units that...
Uber Settles Claims of Sexual Assault by Drivers
Nov 4 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc. settled a lawsuit filed by two women who sought to hold the company responsible for alleged sexual assaults by drivers. Terms of the accord weren’t disclosed in court papers. The settlement...
So Where’s All That Economic Disruption from Technology?
Nov 3 2016 // A funny thing happened on the path to disruption. This decade, most of Silicon Valley’s big societal claims have turned out to be wrong. These claims arguably began around the time this cycle’s real expansion...
National Labor Board Urges Court to Block Uber Arbitration Agreement
Nov 3 2016 // The U.S. labor-protection watchdog is taking sides with Uber Technologies Inc. drivers in their fight to be treated better than independent contractors. As part of a broader review of how gig-economy companies treat...
Federal Judge Upholds Airbnb Arbitration Clause in Racial Bias Case
Nov 2 2016 // A man who claims that the online lodging site Airbnb violated his civil rights must take his complaint to arbitration with Airbnb and cannot sue the online service, a federal judge has ruled. In a Nov. 1 ruling, Judge...
Source Says Airbnb, New York in Talks to Resolve Rental Law Lawsuit
Nov 2 2016 // Airbnb Inc and New York state are in talks to resolve a lawsuit brought by the company challenging a law it says could expose it to significant penalties for advertising short-term apartment rentals, a person familiar with...
UK Uber Drivers’ Court Victory Over Pay Could Rejigger Gig Economy
Oct 31 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc. lost a lawsuit over pay and vacation time for U.K. drivers at the car-sharing service in a ruling that could change how workers are treated in the country’s burgeoning gig economy. Three London...
Uber Aims High: On-Demand, Unmanned Small Commuter Aircraft in 10 Years
Oct 31 2016 // Flying commuters like George Jetson could be whizzing to work through the sky less than 10 years from now, according to ride-services provider Uber, which believes the future of transportation is literally looking up. Uber...
New York to Hold Off Enforcing Airbnb Sublet Restrictions
Oct 26 2016 // The city and state of New York said Monday they would hold off enforcing a new law restricting short-term apartment sublets against Airbnb Inc. until the company’s lawsuit over the issue is resolved. That was a...
This Bud’s for Uber’s Self-Driving Truck Road Test
Oct 25 2016 // A tractor trailer full of beer drove itself down Colorado’s I-25 last week with nobody behind the wheel. Uber Technologies Inc. and Anheuser-Busch InBev NV teamed up on the delivery, which they said is the first time...
Airbnb’s New York Fight Moves From Legislature to Courtroom
Oct 24 2016 // Airbnb Inc. is fighting to stay alive in the biggest rental market in the U.S. Hours after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law that will fine residents who rent out their apartments for illegal short-term...
Homesharing Giant Airbnb Faces Rising Legal, Regulatory Risks in Big Cities
Oct 24 2016 // Airbnb, the online lodging service that investors now believe is worth $30 billion, faces a reckoning. In eight years of torrid growth, the company has often clashed with local public officials seeking to minimize the...
