Latest Sharing Economy Headlines

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

North Carolina Lawmakers Hear Pros, Cons of Uber, Lyft, Airbnb

Nov 20 2014 // North Carolina lawmakers heard arguments this week for and against increasing regulation of digital services that allow people to sell car rides through a smartphone app or rent out rooms to travelers. Car services such as...

Erie Insurance Introduces Auto Rideshare Cover in Indiana, Illinois

Nov 19 2014 // Erie Insurance has launched auto insurance coverage to protect drivers who use ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft in two Midwestern states, eliminating confusion for ridesharing drivers over what’s covered and...

Council Says Ridesharing Firms May Operate at Houston Airports

Nov 14 2014 // The Houston City Council has approved allowing ridesharing companies such as Lyft and Uber to operate at airports. Council members adopted rules that such vehicles would need city and airport-specific permits. The Houston...

Vacation Rental Firm Sues San Francisco Over Airbnb Advantage

Nov 7 2014 // A vacation-home rental website has sued San Francisco, claiming a new law making it legal for residents to rent out their homes online for short periods unfairly gives rivals such as Airbnb an advantage. The lawsuit filed...

Ridesharing Rivalry: Lyft Sues Uber Claiming Documents Lifted

Nov 6 2014 // Lyft Inc. escalated the battle to crack the taxi and limousine market overseas with a lawsuit accusing a former executive of defecting to Uber Technologies Inc. with proprietary documents about Lyft’s international...

Lyft Rideshare Passenger Dies in California Crash

Nov 4 2014 // A spokeswoman for rideshare service Lyft says one of its drivers was involved in a multi-car crash in Northern California that left a man dead. California Highway Patrol officials said the driver was giving a ride to two...

Oregon City Threatens to Fine Uber

Oct 31 2014 // The city of Eugene, Ore. has ordered the Uber ridesharing company to cease operations or be fined. The Register-Guard reported Uber has refused to apply for a taxi license since its drivers began operating in Eugene last...

Uber Ridesharing Serving Kids and Their Busy Parents

Oct 31 2014 // As the oldest of three kids, Baily Deeter was often the last to be picked up from school by his mother. Then Uber Technologies Inc. came along. When Baily started ninth grade in August, his parents gave him an account for...

D.C. Council Passes Bill Regulating Rideshare Firms

Oct 30 2014 // The D.C. Council has approved a bill that regulates popular ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft. The bill gained initial approval on Tuesday by a 12-1 vote. Among other things, it would require that drivers for...

Mississippi City Opposes Ridesharing Firm Uber

Oct 30 2014 // Officials in Oxford, Mississippi are trying to stop the ridesharing company Uber from operating in the city. Uber Technologies Inc. provides a smartphone app that allows people to order rides in privately driven cars...

Uber Drivers Pass by Oregon City’s Taxi Regulations

Oct 29 2014 // Salem, Ore. urban planning administrator Glen Gross says Uber continues to operate outside taxi regulations, despite a warning letter from the city and negotiations with the ridesharing company. Gross says it will be up to...

Nevada Official Says 11 Drivers Cited so Far For Uber

Oct 28 2014 // Nevada drivers with the ridesharing company Uber are picking up passengers despite a judge’s order blocking the rides until at least until Nov. 7. Nevada Taxicab Authority spokeswoman Teri Williams told the Las Vegas...

Ridesharing Uber Halted in Nevada For Now

Oct 27 2014 // It didn’t take long for Uber to come to a screeching halt in Nevada. District Court Judge James Russell in Carson City has blocked Uber from offering any rides in the state through at least Nov. 7. A hearing is set...

Lyft Agrees to Temporary Halt of Rideshare Service in Kansas City

Oct 24 2014 // Ridesharing company Lyft will temporarily stop operating in Kansas City, Mo. while it negotiates with the city over ways to allow it to permanently conduct business in the city. Lyft officials said that the drivers will...

Anchorage In Ridesharing Lawsuit Has Judge’s Backing

Oct 15 2014 // A state court judge says ridesharing company Uber cannot offer transportation for hire in Alaska’s largest city unless it complies with a local ordinance. Superior Court Judge Michael Corey issued an order Monday...

Tuscaloosa Police Warn Uber Drivers

Oct 8 2014 // City officials in Tuscaloosa say they’ve informed representatives of the Uber ridesharing service that drivers will soon face arrest unless the company complies with the city’s demands. Tuscaloosa police Sgt....

Alaska City Asks Court To Halt Uber

Oct 6 2014 // Anchorage, Alaska is taking court action to stop ride-sharing company Uber from operating in the city. The city requested an injunction and a temporary restraining order against Uber Technologies Inc. in civil superior...

New Mexico Judge Refuses to Stop Uber, Lyft

Oct 6 2014 // A state judge has denied a request by New Mexico taxi cab and limousine companies for a temporary restraining order against the ridesharing services Lyft and Uber. District Court Judge Nancy Franchini wrote in her order...

Boston Emerging as Unlikely Battleground for Web-Based Businesses

Oct 1 2014 // A renowned technology hub that is home to some of the country’s top universities, Boston is emerging as an unlikely battleground for web-based businesses like Airbnb and Uber, with some saying more regulations are...

Uber Expanding Rideshare Service in Chicago

Oct 1 2014 // Officials say ridesharing company Uber will create 420 jobs in the next two years in a major expansion of its Chicago regional headquarters. Gov. Pat Quinn joined in the announcement on Sept. 29. The Democrat says his veto...