Latest Sharing Economy Headlines
All the headlines from our Sharing Economy Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
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...
