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Arrested Uber France execs facing trial over ‘illegal’ taxi service

Two of Uber’s executives are set to face trial in France on September 30 for running what the government claims is an illegal taxi service.

Police arrested the two men yesterday following an investigation into the French contingent of the California-based ride-sharing service.

That’s the same investigation that saw Uber’s French offices raided by police back in March.

The individuals set to appear in court are Thibaud Simphal, manager of Uber France, and Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, Uber’s general manager for western Europe.

The detainment is a result of a French law created in October last year, which bans apps from putting individuals in contact with unregistered drivers.

France’s UberPOP operates in breach of this law, but Uber says the legislation is conflicting with the right to freedom to do business.

According to a Reuters report, the Uber execs face charges of carrying out “deceitful commercial practices”, being complicit in the illegal operation of a taxi service, and keeping and using personal data “without authorisation by France’s data privacy watchdog”.

Uber has declined to comment on the matter so far, although the company has previously spoken out against the law.

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It’s not just in France where Uber is having a tough time; protests by taxi drivers have taken place in locations worldwide, including London, Berlin, and New Delhi.

Do you think Uber is bad business, or should the authorities and taxi drivers let up on the US enterprise? Let us know in the comments below.

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