About Uber

Business Model
Is uber a taxi operator or a technology company offering its platform to drivers?
Are Uber Drivers independent contractors or employees?
Strategy: To get people so addicted to the Ubering lifestyle that the app would be baked into their lives, to such a degree that no
one would much care if and when the subsidies went away and the price went up. It would simply drown its competitors in cash
until the advent of autonomous cars got rid of its biggest cost: drivers.
China

After 2 years and more than $2billion in cash losses Uber sold its china operations to archrival Didi Chuxing, with a 20% minority stake
China considered as invariably the most important market by Uber
Different cities in china have very different regulatory environments
Taxi drivers outnumber their U.S. counterparts tenfold (around 42000)
Uber tweaked its core product
Drivers faking trips for personal profits
China has regulated the ride-hailing industry in August 2016, with foreign Companies like Uber under more stringent checks.
Under these new regulations-
The data collected by Uber would come under the purview of government
Market prices would prevail except when municipal government officials believe it is necessary to implement government-guided pricing
Ride-hailing companies have been urged to merge with regular taxi operators (many of which happen to be owned by local governments)
Uber will have to get both provincial and national approval for its activities anywhere in china
Even though Uber was registered as local company in different areas, its national platform would be handled differently.
Despite all the standardization, Local governments would be allowed to issue ride-hailing service drivers licenses and determine who is eligible
to be a driver and what kind of cars can be driven.
India

Started in December 2014, with the Delhi government imposing a general ban on all app-based taxi services, after allegations of rape of a 26 year-old female
passenger by the taxi driver.
Subsequently, the Delhi government modified its existing radio taxi licensing rules to allow app-based taxi aggregators to be eligible for a radio taxi license.
(Regulations)
Uber took issue with many of them contending that the very business model it operates on, doesn't allow it to comply with them
The company resumed operations in January despite the ban still being in place and warnings by transport department to impound vehicles if Uber drivers
continue to operate without a license.
Ubers application for license rejected by the Delhi transport department on grounds of failure to comply with the required provisions
Karnataka directed Uber to stop operations until it is licensed under the newly issued Karnataka On-demand transportation technology aggregators rules, 2016
Concerns raised over surge pricing by transport authorities and customers alike. Ministry of Road transport and Highways issued directives to state governments
to fix maximum prices and restore fair competition among online and offline players
Uber uses the shield that it provides incentives for drivers to move into high-demand areas and thus ensures constant access to cabs for customers
Uber drivers went on a strike, complain of falling incomes, excessive work hours for making best incentives, difficulty to pay car loan EMIs, lack of traditional
redressal mechanisms
Nazrul Islam, a driver, got killed in delhi when a BMW rammed into his car, Uber did not come forward to support
Uber started an online petition in Bengaluru urging residents to support its services which reached over 35000 of the desired 50000 signatures
Corporate Nullification : a practice where corporations, who are beneficiaries of the gig economy, wilfully negate state laws and regulations or interpret the
laws on the basis of some unfounded idea of public good, only to serve their narrow self-interests. The trick they employ to bypass regulation is to generate
rapid and widespread support for a service that often flouts existing rules and regulations.
Definition of service as per Section 2(1)(o) of
the Consumer Protection Act 1986
Service of any description which is made available to potential users and
includes, but not limited to, the provision of facilities in connection with
banking, financing insurance, transport, processing, supply of electrical or other
energy, board or lodging or both, housing construction, entertainment,
amusement or the purveying of news or other information, but does not
include the rendering of any service free of charge or under a contract of
personal service.
Definition of Service as per the Amendment Bill of 2015, further adds- includes
any transaction made through any mode, including online through electronic
means.
Uber started charging commission over 20% (going up to 25-30%) without the
specific knowledge and consent of the drivers.
It may be rightly contested by the drivers that they can avail the benefits
afforded to consumers under this Act.
U.S (New York city)

In early june, a group of around 5000 uber drivers in new York city sued the
company for depriving them of various employment protections by
misclassifying them as independent contractors. They claim that they should be
considered as employees entitled to minimum wages, overtime pay and
reimbursement to expenses
#DeleteUber campaign by users in response to companys lack of support for
protests against trumps immigration ban
Susan fowler, a female engineer who left the company, accused it of rampant
sexism and sexual harassment
Google sued Uber alleging it had stolen the formers self-driving car technology
Greyballing- used to deter riders from violating their terms of service and
against regulators. The technology showed cars that didnt actually exist and
real drivers who offered rides quickly cancelled
References

https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2016/07/indias-regulatory-approach-to-uber/
https://aulaborlawforum.org/2017/02/20/are-uber-drivers-employees-or-independent-contractors/
https://hbr.org/2016/08/the-real-reason-uber-is-giving-up-in-china
https://www.vox.com/world/2017/9/24/16350064/why-london-banned-uber-explained
http://jakartaglobe.id/business/uber-seen-illegal-taxi-service/
https://thewire.in/113979/ola-uber-driver-problem-far/
https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/26/court-upholds-ban-on-uber-in-berlin/
http://www.dw.com/en/germany-slowly-overcomes-its-uber-phobia/a-18261226
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/09/uber-suffers-legal-setbacks-in-france-and-germany
https://techcrunch.com/2015/11/02/uber-retrenches-in-germany/
https://blog.p2pfoundation.net/the-sharing-economy-as-a-locust-economy/2014/08/16
https://newsroom.uber.com/france/uberpop-facts-2/
https://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=37714
https://www.smithslawyers.com.au/knowledgebase/info/uber-accident-insured/
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29027803
https://www.inverse.com/article/37308-google-renewable-energy-goal
http://fortune.com/2016/12/19/uber-indonesia/
http://mashable.com/2017/03/15/indonesia-yogya-uber/#gNBUOHWLemqb