The European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided Wednesday that Uber is indeed a taxi service, despite protests to the contrary, and must comply with national laws. The ruling has major implications for on-demand transport services across the EU.
The decision also could increase legal risks for other “sharing” economy companies including Airbnb. Cities could use the ECJ ruling as precedent and argue that Airbnb is a hotel operator and should only list “hosts” with valid tourist licenses.
Uber has been claiming for years that is a “computer services business”, providing an e-commerce platform for connecting people offering and receiving a service. A Barcelona taxi association disagreed and in 2014 went to the European court arguing that Uber was directly involved in carrying passengers. The ECJ ruling puts the argument to rest.
Read the full story: Top European Court Declares Uber is a Taxi Service
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