For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites. At least three Uber drivers have come in contact with passengers believed to have been infected with the novel coronavirus, according to the ride-hailing company. That news has left both Uber and Lyft drivers feeling insecure about how …

Uber is aiming to make it easier for riders and drivers to communicate. In an app redesign that rolled out on Thursday, the ride-hailing company added a language translation tool that can be used via texting. This means if a passenger doesn’t speak the same language as their driver, they’ll still be able to communicate within the app. Before now, …

Gig economy companies, like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Postmates and Instacart, are in a major battle with California over whether their drivers should be classified as employees or independent contractors. And now that battle is heating up as the companies said Thursday that they got the signatures necessary to bring the issue to voters in November. The whole ordeal began when …

When California’s AB 5 gig worker bill went into effect in January, the state expected a wave of lawsuits to enforce the law. The first of such cases has just worked its way through a San Diego court. On Monday, Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor ruled that the grocery delivery company Instacart has likely misclassified the majority of its California …

A new Uber feature that lets riders “discreetly” report their driver if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable went live in the US and Canada on Wednesday. Drivers say it’s already creating an unfair system for them. The new feature is meant for nonemergency incidents that make passengers feel unsafe. Uber uses “harsh braking,” “inappropriate remarks” and “my driver doesn’t have …

Uber no longer requires a smartphone to hail a ride. The company unveiled a new service it’s piloting in Arizona that lets people book a ride using only a feature phone. Although it was originally designed for seniors, anyone can use the service. The way it works is to dial 1-833-USE-UBER. The company will then connect the caller to a …

Lyft faced an uncertain fourth quarter in 2019 but still managed to beat analysts’ expectations for revenue. The ride-hailing company reported its highest quarterly revenue to date, coming in at more than $1 billion. The company focused on slimming down during the quarter that ended in December, scaling back its bike and scooter initiatives and laying off employees. Lyft pulled …

Uber and Postmates won’t be getting the reprieve they were hoping for from a new California gig worker law. A federal judge denied their request to put a temporary stop to AB 5 while a lawsuit they filed against the state works its way through the courts. This means both companies are still beholden to the law, which could force …

The last quarter of 2019 was turbulent for Uber, as it faced serious disruptions in its business from California to London to India. After bottoming out with its lowest-ever recorded share price in late November, however, the situation started to turn around for the ride-hailing company. Uber’s share price began to slowly and steadily rise, even as Travis Kalanick, its …

For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites. Uber confirmed Monday that it’s temporarily suspended roughly 240 user accounts in Mexico to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The virus was first discovered in the Wuhan region of China late last year but has since been found in at least 20 other …