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A court has loosened French transportation regulations by overturning a ban on a key feature used by the Uber ridesharing app:
Car-hailing firm Uber Technologies Inc. won a loosening of France's strict transport rules Wednesday when a court overturned a decree banning car services from showing the locations of available vehicles, a well-known feature of Uber's app.
France's Conseil d'Etat, the country's highest administrative court, struck down the part of a government decree that banned the showing of locations of available cars. The court said providing the locations represents an "information society service." Under European Union law, countries must notify the EU before regulating such services.
Two Uber managers were arrested in Paris back in June.
Previously: French Taxi Drivers Vandalize France to Protest Uber
Uber Leaves France
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 10 2016, @01:13PM
What the heck is a "information society service"? I think the judges used Uber in the past and that may have swayed them to allow it.
How long until the government decides that in this information society service, it is entitled to your location at all times? Oh wait, that's already happened, and we did it to ourselves. We tagged ourselves and can be followed 24/7/365[.25]. We just never noticed because we're not being given bright-pink overalls.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Thursday March 10 2016, @07:13PM
What the heck is a "information society service"?
Hey, this is Europe, they have to tax and regulate every little thing [historyhouse.co.uk].
*If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet*
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 11 2016, @04:50AM
'Cos you're the taxman!
(Score: 3, Informative) by MostCynical on Thursday March 10 2016, @09:49PM
"The Regulations refer to an "information society service". This is defined as "any service normally provided for remuneration at a distance, by means of electronic equipment for the processing (including digital compression) and storage of data, at the individual request of a recipient of the service".
This covers more than just e-commerce businesses. In 2002, the UK's Department of Trade and Industry (which became the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in 2009) said that, in its view, it is not restricted to buying and selling online."
http://www.out-law.com/page-431 [out-law.com]
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32000L0031 [europa.eu] (see paragraph 17)
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by GungnirSniper on Thursday March 10 2016, @04:44PM
Meanwhile here in the People's Republic of Massachusetts, our elected idiots are trying to ban Uber from airport pickups, add unnecessary license requirements, and ban surge pricing during weather emergencies. [bostonherald.com] I don't know who is demanding these changes other than the government monopoly - taxi medallion owners.
Tips for better submissions to help our site grow. [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday March 10 2016, @05:13PM
Are you complaining that the government-backed monopoly is asking for laws to reject unregulated competition?
(Score: 2) by GungnirSniper on Thursday March 10 2016, @05:38PM
It is only natural that they would want to protect their interests. My concern is that instead of loosening the regulations and creating an open market, our elected idiots are trying to add more regulations. We're not heading in the right direction.
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