EU ruling on Uber opens up company to new claims

Ceci n’est pas un taxi, Uber has always insisted.

Si c’est un taxi, replied the European Court of Justice on Wednesday, as it resoundingly rejected the car-hailing app’s claim that it should be treated as a lightly regulated “information society service”.

The court ruled that the California-based company is “more than an intermediation service” and should be regulated as a transport provider.

The decision makes it easier for national and local authorities in the 28-member bloc to impose rules and restrict Uber’s services.

It also underscores the dilemma that governments face when considering disruptive technology companies from Airbnb to Facebook: should they be freed up to innovate or forced to conform with the rules that restrict their more traditional competitors.