Another lawsuit pressures company

Prosecutors in San Francisco and Los Angeles sued Uber on Tuesday over the ride-booking company's background checks of drivers and other allegations, adding to the popular startup company's worldwide legal woes.

San Francisco County District Attorney George Gascon also announced that Uber competitor Lyft had agreed to change some of its business practices to settle its own lawsuit.

The lawsuits filed in San Francisco Superior Court are the latest legal hurdles to confront the nascent ride-hailing industry.

The industry in general - and Uber in particular - have been battling lawsuits and regulatory issues over whether the businesses are regulated taxi services or app-making technology companies.

"Uber continues to misrepresent and exaggerate background checks on drivers," Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey said. "It's not our goal to shut them down. What we're saying is their advertising is false."

AP

(China Daily 12/11/2014 page11)