Latest Sharing Economy Headlines
All the headlines from our Sharing Economy Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Washington Judge Hears Challenge to Law Enabling Uber, Lyft to Unionize
Jul 20 2016 // A U.S. judge on Tuesday wrestled with whether a lawsuit could proceed against the city of Seattle, Wash. over a local law which allows Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize. The litigation is unfolding amid a national debate...
Drivers Take Uber to UK Tribunal in Test Case that Could Threaten Business Model
Jul 19 2016 // Two drivers took Uber to a British employment tribunal on Tuesday, arguing that the ride service is acting unlawfully by not offering rights such as holiday and sick pay, in a test case that could force the app to change...
Florida Uber Driver Arrested for Refusing Ride to Blind Man, Service Dog
Jul 12 2016 // An Uber driver in Florida was arrested after deputies say he refused to transport a group of blind people and their service dogs. According to news outlets, citing an arrest report, 60-year-old Simon Pierre Andre Nau was...
New Hampshire, Rhode Island Approve Ridesharing Laws
Jul 11 2016 // A state law requiring criminal background checks on drivers of ride-hailing companies took effect last month in New Hampshire with Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan’s signature. The law also requires ridesharing...
Judge in California Approves Lyft’s $27M Driver Settlement Deal
Jul 11 2016 // A U.S. judge granted preliminary approval to ride service Lyft’s $27 million settlement of a class action lawsuit brought by California drivers who claimed they should be deemed employees instead of independent...
Aon Offers Cover for Ontario Uber Drivers, Using Online Quoting Tool
Jul 8 2016 // Aon Risk Solutions, the global risk management business of Aon plc, announced it is now offering personal ride-sharing insurance policies designed specifically for Ontario Uber drivers. As Uber’s insurance broker,...
California Insurers Group Hopes Governor Signs Airbnb Bill
Jul 8 2016 // Another bill dealing with the sharing economy is headed to the California governor’s desk. A bill to ensure homeowners and renters offering rooms for rent on hosting platforms like Airbnb and Home Away understand...
Massachusetts Ridesharing Bill Moves into Final Stretch
Jul 1 2016 // Transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft would be legally sanctioned to operate in Massachusetts, under a set of mostly reasonable regulation, under legislation approved this week in a 34-2 vote of the state...
PCI Urges California Governor to Sign Insurance Bill on the Sharing Economy
Jul 1 2016 // The Property Casualty Association is urging California’s governor to sign a bill approved by the Legislature to ensure homeowners and renters offering rooms for rent on hosting platforms like Airbnb and Home Away...
Uber Using Software to Track Drivers’ Behavior
Jun 30 2016 // Using smartphone sensors to peek over its drivers’ shoulders, Uber is promising to keep a closer eye on their behavior — while discouraging speeding or slamming on the brakes. The global ride-hailing company on...
Judge in California Approves Lyft’s $27M Driver Settlement Deal
Jun 27 2016 // A U.S. judge granted preliminary approval to ride service Lyft’s $27 million settlement of a class action lawsuit brought by California drivers who claimed they should be deemed employees instead of independent...
New Hampshire Ridesharing Law Goes Into Effect
Jun 27 2016 // A state law requiring criminal background checks on drivers of ride-hailing companies took effect this week with Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan’s signature. The law also requires ride-hailing companies like Uber and...
Uber Reaches Deal to Re-Enter Alabama City
Jun 24 2016 // An agreement that would bring Uber back to Tuscaloosa has been reached, although the city council still must give final approval next week. The Tuscaloosa News reports that most city councilors support the ride-for-hire...
Rhode Island Lawmakers Pass Ridesharing, Drone Bills
Jun 23 2016 // Rhode Island’s legislature has passed a bill to legalize and regulate ride-hailing app companies such as Uber. The legislation was among hundreds of bills passed during an all-night session that ended Saturday. It...
Uber Supports Having New Jersey AG Decide Driver Background Checks
Jun 22 2016 // Ride-hailing company Uber says it supports allowing New Jersey’s attorney general to decide what type of background checks its drivers should have to use. Company spokesman Matt Wing told The Associated Press that...
Austin City Council Member Sues Over Ride-Hailing Fingerprint Rule
Jun 21 2016 // An Austin City Council member who is a supporter of ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft has filed a lawsuit to overturn a requirement for their drivers to undergo fingerprint criminal background checks left standing in a...
As On-Demand Economy Grows, Professor Sees New Kind of Capitalism Emerging
Jun 16 2016 // It goes by many names: the “sharing economy,” the “gig economy,” the “on-demand economy.” Arun Sundararajan, a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business who has...
Fingerprinting Is Key Sticking Point for New Jersey’s Rideshare Regs
Jun 16 2016 // When Democratic New Jersey Assemblyman Joseph Lagana decided to regulate ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft in the state, his said his main priority was making sure the drivers were properly insured. Two years...
Uber Offers $7.5M to Settle Lawsuit Over Drivers’ Background Checks
Jun 15 2016 // Uber has agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by drivers over background checks conducted by the ride-hailing company, according to a court filing on Wednesday. The case in San Francisco federal court...
Pennsylvania Regulators to Reconsider Record $11.4M Fine Against Uber
Jun 13 2016 // Pennsylvania’s utility regulators voted on June 9 to reconsider the record-setting $11.4 million fine they imposed on ride-hailing company Uber. The Public Utility Commission fined San Francisco-based Uber in April...
