Where Uber Is Banned Around the World

(From Atlas Obscura)

Eighty-one percent of millennials say they prefer ride-share services to traditional taxis, but not everyone welcomes them with the same gusto. In fact, while Uber has emerged as the most popular ride app by volume, the company has been banned—or has voluntarily suspended service—in dozens of cities and countries. Just the fact that an “Uber protests and legal actions” Wikipedia page exists should tell you enough.

Among a recent spate of bad press for the Silicon Valley darling, news in March that Uber had been “greyballing” local authorities—essentially blocking them from the app—spotlighted the main sticking point for regulators: Uber pays its drivers as independent contractors, not as employees. As The New York Times put it, “Uber has long flouted laws and regulations to gain an edge against entrenched transportation providers,” which has earned the company “a valuation close to $70 billion.” That’s nothing to swipe at. Given how essential that designation is to the company’s business model, Uber has already agreed to shell out more than $100 million to keep it that way, too—even though it claims to have ended its “greyballing” days.

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