Latest Sharing Economy Headlines
All the headlines from our Sharing Economy Topic Page, ordered by recency.
10 Takeaways from the Future of Insurance and InsureTech Connect Conference
Oct 17 2016 // You’ve probably heard. There is tremendous investor interest right now in technology-first insurance startups, or insurtech firms. The first InsureTech Connect Conference in Las Vegas in early October attracted an...
Uber Sued Over Wheelchair Access by Chicago Disability Group
Oct 14 2016 // A Chicago-based disability rights group has filed a federal lawsuit against Uber Technologies Inc. alleging the ride-hailing company has violated wheelchair accessibility laws. The lawsuit, filed by Access Living of...
Judge Skeptical over Airbnb Posture in San Francisco Rental Law Suit
Oct 10 2016 // A U.S. judge expressed skepticism toward a bid by Airbnb to halt a San Francisco law that imposes fines on home rental companies for processing bookings by hosts not registered with the city. In its lawsuit against San...
How Uber Plans to Transform the Long-Haul Trucking Business
Oct 5 2016 // With its recent acquisition of self-driving truck startup Otto, Uber Technologies Inc. is plotting its entry into the long-haul trucking business, aiming to establish itself as a freight hauler and a technology partner for...
Peer-to-Peer Insurance Is Here: Lemonade Opens for Business
Oct 3 2016 // Peer-to-peer insurance startup Lemonade is open for business in New York, nine months after the startup’s debut and initial venture funding announcement. The New York-based company, which its founders promise will...
Oregon Cities Are Considering Clearing Way for Uber
Sep 26 2016 // City officials in the Oregon cities of Bend and Redmond are looking to entice Uber to town by changing city ordinances that would pave the way for ridesharing services. The Bulletin reported that both cities are looking...
Former California Rideshare Driver Charged with Assaulting Multiple Passengers
Sep 23 2016 // A former driver for Uber and Lyft has been charged with sexually assaulting several women while on the job, and Southern California investigators said that there are likely more victims. An 18-year-old college student...
Peer-to-Peer Personal Lines Insurer Lemonade Opens for Business in New York
Sep 21 2016 // Peer-to-peer insurance startup Lemonade is open for business in New York, nine months after the startup’s debut and initial venture funding announcement. The New York-based company, which its founders promise will...
Judge Rules Uber Can Settle with Customers over Tips
Sep 16 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc. won permission to settle claims it misled consumers by charging them a 20 percent “gratuity” even though drivers got only about half of it. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San...
Pittsburgh Uber Riders Preview Driverless Cars Through Test Program
Sep 15 2016 // Uber riders in Pittsburgh can get a glimpse of the future by summoning a car capable of handling most of the tasks of driving on its own. Starting Wednesday morning, a fleet of self-driving Ford Fusions will pick up Uber...
Uber Debuts Its Food Delivery Service in Sin City
Sep 12 2016 // Uber drivers are now take-out delivery drivers too in Las Vegas, Nev. The ridesharing company has launched its UberEATS food delivery service in the Las Vegas area. Users can now use the app to order food from local...
Uber, Drivers Resume Talks After $100 Million Deal Falls Apart
Sep 12 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc. doesn’t appear ready to walk away from further negotiations with its drivers in their dispute over whether they should be treated as employees rather than independent contractors. Three weeks...
Appeals Court Grants Uber Pro-Arbitration Ruling, Thwarting Drivers’ Class Action
Sep 7 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc.’s arbitration agreements were largely ruled by an appeals court to be valid and enforceable in a blow to driver efforts to secure the benefits and protections of employees in California. The...
Pennsylvania Reinstates Uber’s Record $11.4M Fine
Sep 7 2016 // A Pennsylvania regulator on Thursday reinstated a record $11.4 million fine against the popular ride-sharing service Uber Technologies Inc. for operating illegally in the state in 2014. By a 4-1 vote, the Pennsylvania...
Uber Must Face Claims of Creating Fake Lyft Accounts
Sep 6 2016 // While Uber Technologies Inc. fights to keep its own drivers out of court with their grievances, it can’t force arbitration on Lyft Inc. drivers who accuse the ride-hailing behemoth of dirty tricks. Uber will have to...
Uber-Like Video Service DropIn Lets Adjusters Assess Damage from Their Desks
Sep 2 2016 // A new service promises to provide insurance claims adjusters with videos of losses without them ever having to leave their desks. The videos would be supplied by an Uber-like network of smartphone users and, eventually,...
Judge Finds $28M Uber Offer to Settle Rider Fee Class Action Unfair
Sep 1 2016 // Uber Technologies Inc. was dealt a second rejection of a legal settlement, this time in a case over claims the company misled riders when it charged them a $1 “safe rides fee” that earned the company almost...
Governor Cuomo Reviewing Bill to Establish Fines for New York Airbnb Users
Aug 30 2016 // New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo must soon decide whether to authorize hefty fines for many people who offer to rent out their New York City apartments on Airbnb. Meanwhile, the online booking service said it’s policing...
Judge Grants Uber’s Request to Put New York Price Fixing, Arbitration Lawsuit on Hold
Aug 29 2016 // A federal judge on Friday granted a request by Uber Technologies Inc. and its chief executive officer to put a passenger’s price-fixing lawsuit against them on hold, while they appeal his refusal to let them...
Uber Opposes Employee Status But Offers Its Freelance Drivers Retirement App
Aug 25 2016 // They may not have a 401(k) plan, but drivers working through Uber Technologies Inc.’s platform will soon be able to open a retirement account right in the app. And in traditional Silicon Valley style, the...
