Uber's latest roadblock: Bans in Brazil

Talk about some global issues. After last week's protests in Paris led to the indictment of two Uber executives in France, the ride-sharing company has already hit another roadblock — on the other side of the world.
In Brasilia, Brazil's capital, the city council voted to ban ride-sharing apps. And now Sao Paolo, the country's biggest city, is on its way to doing the same, voting 48-1 on Tuesday to prohibit its 12 million citizens from using smartphone-based ride-sharing apps. While Sao Paolo's ban still needs another vote and then approval from its mayor, and Brasilia's needs a final sign-off from its governor, Uber has remained defiant, posting on its Facebook page that the company "defends the right of users to choose the way they want to move about the city."
Uber has assumed a similarly flippant attitude in response to similar allegations in France, which a spokesperson for Uber called a "piece of pure calumny," The Wall Street Journal reports. The two Uber executives in France are facing charges including the illicit storage of personal data and the enabling of illegal taxi services.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2025
Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - Harvard University, small businesses, and more
By The Week US
-
Fake AI job seekers are flooding U.S. companies
In the Spotlight It's getting harder for hiring managers to screen out bogus AI-generated applicants
By Theara Coleman, The Week US
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US