Latest Sharing Economy Headlines
All the headlines from our Sharing Economy Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Southern California Uber Driver Accused of Raping Passenger
Jan 15 2020 // An Uber driver was arrested on suspicion of raping a woman who said she fell asleep in his car after a night of drinking and woke up to him assaulting her, authorities said. The suspect, Alonso Calle, had contacted police...
Oregon Woman Sues Uber for $1M, Alleging Sex Assault by Driver
Jan 10 2020 // A Hillsboro, Ore. woman is seeking more than $1 million from the ride-hailing company Uber, alleging she was sexually assaulted by one of the company’s drivers in 2018. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the woman...
Uber Halts Upfront Ride Pricing in Response to New California Worker Law
Jan 9 2020 // Uber Technologies Inc. on Wednesday informed its California customers that it would switch to providing estimates as opposed to fixed prices for its rides in response to a new law that makes it harder to qualify its...
Look! Up in the Sky. Uber and Hyundai Unveil Air Taxi.
Jan 7 2020 // Uber and Hyundai Motor Co. announced they will develop Uber Air Taxis for a future aerial ride share network. The companies unveiled a new full-scale aircraft concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. In...
Farmers Expands Program, Now Insuring Uber Drivers in 14 States and D.C.
Jan 7 2020 // Farmers Insurance has expanded its relationship with Uber by providing commercial automobile insurance to its ridesharing drivers in 12 additional states and the District of Columbia. In addition to the District of...
Liberty Mutual to Insure Uber Drivers and Passengers in 7 States, Puerto Rico
Jan 2 2020 // Liberty Mutual Insurance will provide coverage for Uber drivers and passengers throughout New England, South Carolina and Puerto Rico as part of the company’s 2020 auto insurance programs, which became effective on...
Airbnb Insurance Leader Langone Becomes RIMS President for 2020
Jan 2 2020 // The risk management society, RIMS, announced that Laura Langone, head of Insurance Operations at Airbnb, Inc., will lead the association as president for the 2020 term. As president, Langone is succeeding Gloria Brosius,...
Uber, Postmates Sue to Overturn California Gig Worker Law as Unconstitutional
Dec 31 2019 // Uber Technologies Inc. and Postmates Inc. sued the state of California, alleging that a labor rights law set to go into effect this week is unconstitutional. The lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles federal court is a...
California ‘Gig’ Worker Law Affects Employers Inside and Outside the State
Dec 30 2019 // A California law that makes it harder for companies to treat workers as independent contractors takes effect next week, forcing small businesses in and outside the state to rethink their staffing. The law puts tough...
California Freelance Journalists Sue Over New State Law
Dec 19 2019 // Freelance writers and photographers on Tuesday filed the second legal challenge to a broad new California labor law that they say could put some independent journalists out of business. The law taking effect Jan. 1 aims to...
Uber Settles Sexual Harassment Claims in $4.4M Deal with EEOC
Dec 18 2019 // Under an agreement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), transportation firm Uber Technologies will establish a $4.4 million fund to compensate anyone who the EEOC determines experienced sexual...
Uber Gains in California Driver Classification But Case Isn’t Closed
Dec 17 2019 // Uber Technologies Inc. beat back an aggressive bid to force it to treat California drivers as employees, but a judge’s ruling may allow a long-running fight over pay and benefits to gain traction in 2020. U.S....
Uber Appeals Denial of License in London
Dec 16 2019 // Uber submitted an appeal on Friday against a decision by London’s transport regulator to strip the taxi app of its right to operate in one its most important markets, setting up a potentially lengthy legal process...
Driver Privacy Concerns in Auto Insurance. There’s an App for That.
Dec 13 2019 // Apps that let you book a ride to work or borrow a car for your next vacation are feeding into a revolution in auto insurance — while also raising some privacy red flags. Data on everything from how frequently a car...
Uber Gets Mixed Reaction to Public Report on Sex Assaults. Now What?
Dec 9 2019 // A day after Uber revealed that more than 3,000 riders and drivers were sexually assaulted last year while using its service, attention is turning to what’s next for the ride-hailing giant and whether its plans to...
Uber Received 3,000 Reports of Sexual Assault in U.S. in 2018
Dec 6 2019 // Ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc. said it received over 3,000 reports of sexual assault related to its 1.3 billion rides in the United States last year, in a report aimed at ensuring drivers and the public it was...
Video Shows Lyft Driver Dragging Woman from Car in California
Dec 2 2019 // Los Angeles police say they’ve cited a Lyft driver for misdemeanor battery after video showed him dragging a passenger out of a car. Alessandra Ward says she suffered a black eye, bruises and a possible concussion...
Uber’s London License Ban Marks Global Regulatory Backlash for Ride-Hailing Firms
Nov 27 2019 // Uber Technologies Inc. and its rivals disrupted global transport, riding on a lack of regulation to drive exponential growth. Now, regulators are closing in. London’s transport authority banned Uber for a second time...
Lawmakers Question Airbnb Over Rental Listings in Violation of Local Laws
Nov 27 2019 // U.S. lawmakers are asking Airbnb Inc. to provide information about hosts that list short-term rentals on the site who don’t comply with local laws and violate the company’s own policies. In a letter to Airbnb...
Uber Loses London License for Failures on Safety and Security
Nov 25 2019 // The Uber ride-hailing service was stripped of its London operating license on Monday for the second time in just over two years, subject to appeal, after the regulator found a “pattern of failures” on safety...