Skip to main content

Uber Paris came to a screeching halt on Tuesday

Uber is turning the tables … on itself. To protest regulation changes in Paris that critics claim were made to appease taxi drivers, the transportation giant shut down its services in the French capital for around four hours on Tuesday. The rather gutsy move feels more like a PR stunt than an effective means of affecting change, but it’s certainly gotten quite a bit of attention (case in point here). It’s also, perhaps, a more considerate way of protest than blocking streets and causing traffic nightmares. Rather, it would appear that Uber is trying to drive home just how important its services are to helping Parisians get from point A to point B in the 21st-century sharing economy.

Between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. local time, it was impossible to hail an Uber in Paris, and the transportation sent out an email to its customer base explaining their decision. “We understand that this can be very annoying for many of you, and please excuse us,” the message read. “But the prime minister’s decision would lead to 10,000 drivers unemployed.”

Recommended Videos

Of course, the Uber-sanctioned protest is a bit ironic considering the many demonstrations taking place at home, in which drivers have claimed that having a job as an Uber driver is just as bad as being unemployed — accusations of unlivable wages, long hours, and other grievances have been leveled against the San Francisco company for months, and have recently reached a fever pitch on both the west and east coasts of the United States.

But in France (and Europe at large), the struggle is an entirely different one. Regulations across the continent have made it increasingly difficult for Uber and its drivers to establish a firm foothold, and the company claims that this has cost many Europeans potentially gainful employment. Of course, on the flip side, European governments have accused Uber of undercutting licensed taxi drivers, citing unfair advantages, driver poaching, and other questionable business practices.

As for the Uber blackout taking place today, spokesman for Uber France Thomas Meister says things are just beginning. “This is going to last, they won’t let it go,” Meister said of the day’s events. “They [The drivers] will stand up and fight until the end to continue working. It’s as simple as that, they just want to continue working.”

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: the upgrade we’ve been waiting for?
Thre Flip 7 models next to each other

I never really thought that I'd want to go down the route of owning a flip phone, ever since I swore off my Nokia in the early 2000s (you know, the one with the weird felt covering and tiny notification window).

Fast forward two decades, and I'm considering rejoining the race, thanks to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7. Coming in at $1,100, it's not cheap, but it's definitely something different compared to the world of black rectangles, and it it feels like Samsung’s Flip family has finally come of age.

Read more
I used the Galaxy Z Fold 7, here’s why I’m completely smitten
The back of the Galaxy Z Fold 7

We’ve waited several years for Samsung to join the party, but it’s finally here: Samsung has followed rivals like Oppo, OnePlus, and Honor in building a thinner, lighter, and sleeker Galaxy Z Fold 7. It’s an impressive feat of engineering and a major upgrade over previous years.

It’s easy to consider the Fold 7 nothing more than an update to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but in many ways, it feels like a huge step forward, not just for Samsung but for all folding phones. I spent a few hours with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in an exclusive preview, and here’s why I absolutely love what Samsung has done this year.

Read more
I tried the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series – they’re sleek, but with a lot to prove
Watch 8 on a wrist

Trying out the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic is a tough gig - not in terms of it being a hardship to try out two high-end models, but that it's impossible to assess them with only 30 minutes’ use.

I can easily talk about the improved design and the fit of the straps etc, but the real changes are within the health ecosystem, and they'll need sustained testing to really understand if they're any good.

Read more