Latest Sharing Economy Headlines
All the headlines from our Sharing Economy Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California-based Uber Loses Officials, Faces Major Changes
Jun 15 2017 // Freewheeling Uber faces major change. Its board is cracking down, its founder and CEO is stepping away indefinitely, and the company itself is coming to grips with measures intended to reform its toxic culture and...
Uber, Lyft coming to Alaska, but Not State’s Most Popular Tourist Spot
Jun 13 2017 // Uber and Lyft are coming to Alaska, but not to the state capital’s most popular tourist attraction. The Juneau Empire reported Gov. Bill Walker is expected to sign a bill that will make Alaska the last state to allow...
Are Uber, Lyft Public Nuisances? San Francisco Wants to Know
Jun 6 2017 // San Francisco has issued subpoenas to Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. for a broad scope of records on driving and business practices as part of an investigation to determine whether the ridesharing companies have...
Statewide Ride-Hailing Regulation Bill Signed by Texas Governor
Jun 1 2017 // A bill that preempts local regulations for ride-hailing companies in Texas and replaces them statewide standards has been signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. HB 100, sponsored in the Senate by Georgetown Sen. Charles Schwertner,...
Uber, Lyft Statewide Regulation Bill Deemed Dead in Louisiana
Jun 1 2017 // Louisiana won’t join 44 other states in regulating ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft after a proposal to standardize rules and expand access to smaller cities was blocked by New Orleans lawmakers, the...
Google’s Paid Carpooling Service Being Expanded Across California
Jun 1 2017 // Google is expanding its paid carpool service throughout California, building on an effort to get more traffic-weary drivers to share their rides to work, and to collect data that could be useful for future transportation...
Uber Says Alabama Mayors Stalled Ridesharing Law
May 30 2017 // A statewide framework to regulate ridesharing firms such as Uber and Lyft stalled in the Alabama Legislature, and it’s unclear when such companies could begin to launch new service in Alabama communities. Uber,...
Uber Drivers Arrested in Hong Kong for Driving Without Insurance
May 23 2017 // Hong Kong police on Tuesday arrested 21 Uber drivers for illegal car-hiring as part of a clamp down against Uber Technologies Inc.’s operations in the Asian financial city. The arrests marked the latest upset for the...
Uber May Fire Key Executive in California in Self-Driving Car Dispute
May 22 2017 // Uber is threatening to fire a key executive accused of stealing self-driving car technology from a Google spin-off unless he waives his constitutional right against self-incrimination so the ridesharing service can comply...
Bill Setting Statewide Rules for Ridesharing Companies Passes Texas Senate
May 18 2017 // A bill that would preempt local regulations for ridesharing companies in Texas and replace them statewide standards has passed the Texas Senate. It now heads to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature. HB 100,...
Legal and Image Woes Mount For Uber in California
May 15 2017 // A rare order from a federal judge alerting prosecutors to possible criminal misconduct by Uber or a key executive deepens the turmoil swirling around the ridesharing company at a time when it’s grappling with other...
Uber Faces Biggest Challenge to European Plans in Region’s Top Court
May 12 2017 // Uber faces the biggest challenge yet to its European roll-out after the region’s top court was advised to rule that the U.S. ride-hailing firm is actually a transport service not an app. Although the opinion of the...
Uber Builds Toronto AI Team, as It Awaits Outcome of Autonomous Car Lawsuit
May 8 2017 // Uber Technologies Inc., in the midst of legal battle with Alphabet Inc. over self-driving car technology, is building a new artificial intelligence team in Toronto to help improve its autonomous vehicle software. The team...
China Ride-Hailing Firm, Didi, to Go Global After Record Funding
May 1 2017 // Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing just raised more than $5.5 billion, giving Uber Technologies Inc. Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick one more thing to worry about. Didi’s record funding round is said to...
Apple, Tesla Want California to Toughen Proposed Self-Driving Car Test Rules
May 1 2017 // Apple Inc. urged California to toughen up its proposed policy on testing self-driving cars, a move that would result in more public data that could help Apple catch up to rivals in the self-driving space by giving it a...
Florida Battle for Ridesharing Regulations Nears End of Long Road
May 1 2017 // After a four-year battle in the Florida Legislature, lawmakers passed statewide regulations April 19 for ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft that would undo a patchwork of local rules across the...
Online Rideshare Insurance Offering Debut by CoverHound
May 1 2017 // CoverHound is getting into the rideshare insurance business. The online insurance comparison shopping platform has partnered with several large carriers to offer auto insurance quotes in 24 states for people who drive for...
UK Uber Drivers Can Now Buy Injury & Illness Insurance
Apr 28 2017 // Uber Technologies Inc. will begin offering U.K. drivers the ability to buy injury and illness insurance, a step to provide a safety net for the independent drivers it has long been criticized for treating poorly. The...
Underwriting Questions in the Sharing Economy
Apr 26 2017 // Here at Insurance Journal’s Academy of Insurance, the idea of the sharing economy has been a front burner item lately. This week’s webinar is the third (and last) this year on the subject and the second in...
Uber, Lyft Opposing Vermont Bill with New Requirements
Apr 24 2017 // Popular ride sharing companies Uber and Lyft are opposing a Vermont bill that would require the companies to greatly increase their insurance coverage for personal injuries when drivers are between rides. The Burlington...