The two-day trial will address allegations that Uber’s French general manager Thibaud Simphal and Europe operations boss Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty committed criminal offences by organising and operating an illegal taxi ring in France. The pair face six charges on counts that include the illicit storage of personal data and the promotion of unlicensed taxi drivers to consumers. If convicted, the pair could be hit with up to five years' imprisonment or fines of up to €300,000. Convictions could also weigh heavily on the future of Uber in Europe, where it has long needed to fight regulators to maintain its presence.

Uberpop blues

The French legal challenge relates to a service that the company marketed in Europe as Uberpop, which specifically uses drivers without any kind of professional licence. Uberpop was designed to help promote growth in countries with strict taxi rules, but has found itself up against regulatory pushback in a host of other European countries including the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Under prosecutor questioning, Mr Gore-Coty distanced himself from the decision to launch Uberpop in France. ‘I simply organised the promotion of the services to users and drivers,’ he said, arguing that strategic decisions came from Uber’s base offices in the US and the Netherlands. ‘It wasn’t my role nor was I qualified to judge its legality.’

French laws, ‘American’ system

The French government has accused the two executives and the company they represent of thumbing their noses to French taxi and privacy laws by importing a mobile-based transport system that the French National Federation of Independent Taxis describes as ‘American’. However, Uber has insulated itself against the allegations by arguing that the legal basis for the case against Uber has its grounding in French laws that are invalid because they violate European Union treaties. The company also claims that it has been unfairly targeted by French authorities looking to appease local taxi drivers and owners. Sources: The Wall Street Journal; The Wall Street Journal (2); Euronews