Commenting on today's ECJ ruling which found that Uber is a transport company not a social media service, Dr Mareike Mohlmann, Assistant Professor of Information Systems at Warwick Business School, said:

"This ruling indicates how the EU regulators are struggling to make sense of the so-called gig economy.

"It is not uncommon that existing regulation lags behind when new digital innovations or business models are entering a market. Existing regulation or rulings are often not well equipped to deal with these novel developments.

"Companies such as Uber might have exploited regulatory blind spots by positioning themselves in a way that is of strategic advantage to them, so it is essential that courts and regulators address these cases in order to provide clarity.

"Usually it needs them some time to do so, since processes move much slower than the ones in the tech industry. Indeed, Uber has been around for several years. Thus, it is good that the EU courts have made a decision that helps to increase clarification."

20 December 2017

Contact:

Ashley Potter

Press & PR Executive

Warwick Business School

ashley.potter@wbs.ac.uk

024 765 73967