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  3. Ride-hailing service Uber suffered a new blow Wednesday as the European Union

Ride-hailing service Uber suffered a new blow Wednesday as the European Union

游客2023-08-09  23
问题    Ride-hailing service Uber suffered a new blow Wednesday as the European Union’s top court ruled that it should be regulated like a taxi company and not a technology service, a decision that restricts its activities around Europe and could weigh on other app-based companies, too.
   Uber, which is wrapping up a particularly punishing year, sought to play down the ruling Wednesday by the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice. The company said the decision only affects its operations in four countries and it will try to keep expanding in Europe anyway. The court decision could pave the way for new regulation of other Internet-based businesses, and reflects a larger dilemma about how governments should treat companies that operate online and don’t fit in with traditional laws.
   The decision stems from a complaint by a Barcelona taxi drivers association, which wanted to prevent Uber from setting up in the Spanish city. The taxi drivers said Uber drivers should have authorizations and licenses, and accused the company of engaging in unfair competition.
   Arguing its case, San Francisco-based Uber said it should be regulated as an information services provider, because it is based on an app that connects drivers to riders. The court said in a statement that services provided by companies like Uber are "inherently linked to a transport service" and therefore must be classified as "a service in the field of transport" within EU law. It says the EU directive on electronic commerce does not apply to companies like Uber. The decision affects ride-hailing services around the 28-nation EU, where national governments can now regulate services like Uber as transport companies.
   Uber said in a statement that the ruling "will not change things in most EU countries where we already operate under transportation law" and that it will "continue the dialogue with cities across Europe" to allow access to its services. The company has already been forced to adhere to national regulations in several EU countries and abandon its hallmark (标志) "peer-to-peer" service that hooks up freelance (做自由职业的) drivers and riders.
   The Barcelona-based law firm representing Elite Taxi, the association that filed the lawsuit, celebrated the ruling and said it had " great judicial significance ’. Its consequences can be expanded to other businesses that keep trying to avoid legal responsibilities in the services that they provide. And the European Trade Union Confederation said in a statement that it "warmly welcomes" the judgment, saying it will help drivers get fair wages and conditions. It said the ruling " confirms that Uber does not simply exist ’ on the cloud’ but is well established with its wheels firmly on the road. " However, an association representing online companies warned that the ruling goes against EU efforts to encourage innovation and compete with US and Asian online companies.
   Uber has had a roller-coaster year that included the ouster (罢免) of its chief executive officer, sexual harassment allegations, the revelation that it covered up a massive breach of customers’ data, and regulatory challenges. [br] What is said to be the significance of the court decision?
选项 A、It sets an example for other relevant legal cases.
B、It makes clear the responsibilities of enterprises.
C、It urges Uber to provide more practical services.
D、It encourages innovation and online companies.
答案 A
解析 事实细节题。本题考查此项法庭裁决的重要性。第四段最后一句提到，这一裁决影响到欧盟范围内28个国家的叫车服务，目前欧盟国家的政府可以将优步这样的服务公司作为运输公司来管理。第六段第二句提到，这一结果可以扩展到其他一直试图逃避其服务领域法律责任的企业。由此可知，它最大的意义就是成为其他相关法律案件的先例，故A)为答案。B)“它明确了企业的责任”是对第六段第二句的曲解，原文并没有从普遍意义上谈到企业的责任，故排除；C)“它敦促优步提供更符合实际的服务”是对第六段第四句的曲解，原文的意思是优步并不仅仅提供虚拟服务，也有实体服务，故排除；D)“它鼓励创新和在线公司”是对第六段最后一句的曲解，原文恰恰认为这一法律裁决不利于创新和在线公司的发展，故排除。
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