Summary of "What you need to know about Uber's latest controversies"

What you need to know about Uber's latest controversies

A summary

Step one:

A lawsuit against Uber in California is just the latest battle for the ride sharing service.

- Two district attorneys from California, Uber's home state, filed a civil lawsuit against the company, whose current valuation is at $41 billion. They accuse Uber of misleading customers about the extent of background checks it performs on its drivers, as well as illegally providing services at airports without authorization and defrauding customers with a $4 "airport fee toll." The DA's claim Uber is putting its customers at risk by not fully ensuring the quality of its drivers and wants Uber to fully reimburse customers who paid airport fees and bizarre charges.

Trouble overseas:

- New Delhi, India's capital city, banned Uber after allegations an Uber driver raped a passenger using the service in the city. While a troublesome issue, officials claim the ban is because Uber is using a taxi permit that applies to other parts of India, but not in the capital city itself. Uber has also been banned in Spain and Thailand, due to claims that the ride sharing service is unfair competition to taxi services. Uber is also having issues in Germany, the Netherlands, and Toronto. In the U.S., Uber is facing challenges in Nevada and Oregon, where officials want Uber to comply with state regulations in order to operate.

Questions over passenger safety:

- The alleged rape in India is nothing new to Uber, whose drivers have been involved in similar instances in Chicago, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. Uber's website claims it is "the safest ride on the road," however, The New York Times reported that Uber has lobbied against laws that would require stronger background checks for its drivers.

Public Relations Blemishes:

- Uber has been attacked by some as being sexist, thanks in part to a promotion in France that offered to pick passengers up with a "hot chick" as the driver. Along with that, BuzzFeed reported that Uber was hiring investigators to get information on journalists who were criticizing the company, so that they could use it as blackmail against the journalists. Peter Thiel, a billionaire investor in Lyft, claimed that Uber is the "most ethically-challenged company in Silicon Valley." Competition between Lyft has also caused hits to Uber's reputation, with accusations that both companies have attempted to sabotage drivers of the opposite company.

What's at stake?

- Despite the growing list of controversies, Uber's value is currently at $41 billion, based on recent fundraising. Fortune reports that an IPO could be a year away, and worth billions of dollars when the time comes. The many blemishes facing the company could turn away some investors, but facts don't lie, and Uber has continued to grow even with all the controversies surrounding it.

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Claims & Evidence:

• Uber is misleading customers - lying about scrutiny of background checks, and charging illegitimate fees.
• Uber drivers rape passengers - passengers from various cities around the world have reported it
• Uber doesn't go through required regulations - cities around the world are trying to ban it unless it cooperates with city and state regulations
• Uber is sexist - had a promotion with "hot female drivers" picking up passengers
• Uber can succeed - has been growing, app usage and value wise, even with all the controversies

Step two:

Uber is currently involved in a lot of controversy. From misleading customers about their safety, as evidenced by allegations of rape by drivers, to trying to jump through loopholes in state regulations in order to operate, as well as being labeled sexist and morally corrupt by certain individuals. Through it all, however, Uber still has the opportunity to freshen its image, and succeed in this ever-changing world.

Step three:

The controversies surrounding Uber are not some to be pushed underneath the carpet. From allegations of rape by drivers, as reported by passengers, as well as misleading customers about the depth of driver background checks, Uber's safety to passengers may be a concerning question to some. To go along with that, the company does not follow set transportation regulations in certain cities around the world, which is causing governments to limit or ban the service entirely. Add all that up and include allegations that the company is sexist and ethically-challenged, and it seems you have a company that is doomed to fail. However, Uber continues to defy odds and gain business in this new world of electronic, app based companies.

Step four:
I compared my summary to Erick Hannah's summary of "Why Indiana's Religious Freedom Law Is Such A Big Deal." Our summaries were formatted in the same way, with the steps numbered, and the work shown, albeit different topics. Our main difference was that for step one, I made a short summary for each paragraph of my article, as outlined in step 1 of the Student's Guide, page 89. That helped me immensely by being able to look at the short paragraph, and come up with a claim and evidence for the next part. Although our first steps were different, the end result was the same, a well written and concise summary of a longer length article.

Wikimedia Commons. Condense Facts and Information to Knowledge, July 1, 2011, CC Attribution 3.0