Latest Sharing Economy Headlines

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

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...

Uber Faces Hike in London License Fees, in Latest Blow for Ride-Hailing Firm

Apr 21 2017 // Taxi app Uber could face an increase in operator license fees in London under proposed changes by the city’s transport authority, the latest in a series of moves by regulators to rein in a firm that has disrupted the...

Florida Battle for Ridesharing Regulations Nears End of Long Road

Apr 21 2017 // After a four-year battle in the Florida Legislature, lawmakers on Wednesday passed statewide regulations for ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft that would undo a patchwork of local rules across the...

CoverHound Launches Online Rideshare Insurance Offering

Apr 20 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...

Uber Sees EU Growth Despite Impending EU Court Ruling, Denmark Setback

Apr 19 2017 // Uber Technologies sees opportunities to expand in the Europe Union, despite withdrawing its ride-hailing service from Denmark and facing the possibility of an EU court ruling that could mean tougher rules for the firm, an...

Airbnb Sues City of Miami, Alleges Violation of Hosts’ First Amendment Rights

Apr 18 2017 // The homesharing platform Airbnb is suing the city of Miami, where officials threatened to crack down on hosts who publicly protested regulations prohibiting short-term rentals.According to the lawsuit filed Friday in...

Missouri Senate Passes Statewide Ride Hailing Regulation Bill

Apr 13 2017 // Missouri Senators has passed a bill that would expand regulations for transportation companies such as Uber and Lyft — a measure that legislative leadership and Gov. Eric Greitens have called a job creator and an...

Uber Scoffs at Google Spinoff’s Claims in Self-Driving Car Case

Apr 10 2017 // Uber is scoffing at claims that its expansion into self-driving cars hinges on trade secrets stolen from a Google spinoff, arguing that its ride-hailing service has been working on potentially superior technology.The legal...

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Seattle Law Allowing Ridesharing Union

Apr 7 2017 // A federal judge in Seattle, Wash. has temporarily blocked the city’s first-in-the-nation law allowing drivers of ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft to unionize over pay and working conditions.U.S. District...

Representatives of Rideshare Companies Push for Oregon Regulations

Apr 7 2017 // Representatives for ridesharing companies Uber and Lyft are pushing a bill that would ensure the state of Oregon regulates them instead of individual cities.The Eugene Register-Guard reported representatives said at a...

Uber’s Biggest SE Asia Rival, Grab, Buys Indonesian E-Commerce Platform

Apr 3 2017 // Grab, Uber Technologies Inc.’s biggest rival in Southeast Asia, will acquire Indonesian e-commerce startup Kudo for an undisclosed amount, striking its first deal since pledging to invest $700 million in its largest...

MAPFRE Insurance to Provide Coverage for Massachusetts Rideshare Drivers

Mar 31 2017 // In an important move aimed at protecting Massachusetts drivers, MAPFRE Insurance will be among the first insurers in the state to offer gap coverage to auto insurance policyholders using their personal cars to drive for...