Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

Two Uber executives to go on trial in France on Sept. 30

Published 06/30/2015, 02:29 PM
Updated 06/30/2015, 02:29 PM
© Reuters. An illustration picture shows the logo of car-sharing service app Uber on a smartphone next to the picture of an official German taxi sign

© Reuters. An illustration picture shows the logo of car-sharing service app Uber on a smartphone next to the picture of an official German taxi sign

PARIS (Reuters) - Two executives from California-based Uber will face trial in France on Sept. 30, the Paris public prosecutor said on Tuesday, part of a French crackdown on what the government calls an illegal taxi service.

Thibaud Simphal, manager of Uber France, and Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, general manager for western Europe, were detained by police on Monday in an investigation that earlier led to Uber's offices being raided by police in March.

The investigation focuses on one of the company's local transport options known as UberPOP, which allows passengers to book rides with private drivers via mobile phones, a service which licensed taxi operators say is unfair competition.

A French law from October 2014 already placed a ban on putting clients in touch with unregistered drivers with apps such as UberPOP. But Uber has contested the rule, saying it is counter to the right to freedom to do business.

The Uber executives will be judged on charges including carrying out deceitful commercial practices and being complicit in illegal operation of a taxi service by providing drivers with means to do so and encouraging them to, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said in a statement.

Charges also include keeping and using personal data without authorization by France's data privacy watchdog.

Uber said in a statement later on Tuesday that it wanted to "continue constructive talks with the government" on transport regulations and that it hoped France's Constitutional Council would give its view on the 2014 law by the end of September. It did not comment on the trial.

Uber has triggered protests by taxi drivers from London to New Delhi as it upends traditional business models that require professional drivers to pay often steep fees for licenses to operate cabs.

The various regulatory battles could affect the valuation of the unlisted company, currently above $40 billion based on its most recent fund raisings.

In France, the backlash intensified last week when taxi drivers blockaded major transport hubs in a sometimes violent protest against what they say is unfair competition.

© Reuters. An illustration picture shows the logo of car-sharing service app Uber on a smartphone next to the picture of an official German taxi sign

The protests were among the fiercest in a series of strikes and demonstrations across Europe against San Francisco-based Uber, whose backers include Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL).

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.