Europeans Regulate, or Not, Based on Which Label They Arbitrarily Apply to Uber

(p. B8) LUXEMBOURG — Uber asserted on Tuesday [November 28, 2016] that it was helping to bolster Europe’s digital economy as part of its defense in a long-awaited hearing to decide how the popular ride-hailing service should be able to operate across the region.
. . .
At the heart of the European court case — a ruling is not expected until April, at the earliest — is whether Uber should be considered a transportation service or a digital platform, which acts independently to connect third-party drivers with passengers.
If the company is defined as a transportation service, it must comply with national laws that may restrict how Uber grows in Europe.
Yet if the judges rule the company is just an intermediary that connects drivers with passengers, legal experts say, Uber may gain greater freedom to offer more transportation, food delivery and other services to European consumers.

For the full story, see:
MARK SCOTT. “Is Uber a Car Service or a Digital Platform?” The New York Times (Weds., NOV. 30, 2016): B8.
(Note: ellipsis, and bracketed date, added.)
(Note: the online version of the story has the date NOV. 29, 2016, and has the title “Uber, Seeking to Expand, Defends Itself at Europe’s Highest Court.”)

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