Canadian gov't moves to regulate online content

 'Full-blown assault' on free expression: Inside the comprehensive Liberal bill to regulate the internet |National Post - Tristin Hopper:

April 29, 2021 - "After more than 25 years of Canadian governments pursuing a hands-off approach to the online world, the government of Justin Trudeau is now pushing Bill C-10, a law that would see Canadians subjected to the most regulated internet in the free world. 

"Although pitched as a way to expand Canadian content provisions to the online sphere, the powers of Bill C-10 have expanded considerably in committee, including a provision introduced last week that could conceivably allow the federal government to order the deletion of any Facebook, YouTube, Instagram or Twitter upload made by a Canadian. In comments this week, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh indicated his party was open to providing the votes needed to pass C-10, seeing the bill as a means to combat online hate....

"Former CRTC commissioner Peter Menzies said in an interview that Bill C-10 'doesn’t just infringe on free expression, it constitutes a full-blown assault upon it and, through it, the foundations of democracy'....

"The draft text of Bill C-10 specifically included a clause exempting social media. While the government was looking to regulate the internet, it didn’t want to bother with anything 'uploaded to an online undertaking that provides a social media service by a user of the service.' Indeed, Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault has repeatedly framed C-10 as a way to regulate streaming services such as Netflix and Crave while leaving social media alone.... 

"But in a House of Commons Heritage committee meeting Friday the social media clause was deleted.... What the deletion means is that every single Canadian who posts to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or YouTube could be treated like a broadcaster subject to CRTC oversight and sanction. The users themselves may not necessarily be subject to direct CRTC regulation, but social media providers would have to answer to every post on their platforms as if it were a TV show or radio program....

"When he introduced Bill C-10 in November, Guilbeault assured the House of Commons that 'user-generated content, news content and video games' would not be subject to the new regulations. Guilbeault’s 180-degree turn on social media ... [means that] if your Canadian website isn’t a text-only GeoCities blog from 1996, Bill C-10 thinks it’s a program deserving of CRTC regulation. This covers news sites, podcasts, blogs, the websites of political parties or activist groups and even foreign websites that might be seen in Canada. In a Monday meeting of the Canadian Heritage committee, smartphone apps were also thrown under the Bill C-10 rubric, although the complete text has not been released to the public.

"Passage of Bill C-10 would not subject Canadian content creators to a top-down China-style censorship regime.... But the ultimate effect of C-10 would be to plunge whole realms of independent media — from YouTubers to podcasters to bloggers — into an environment where they could face both a requirement for government registration as well as any number of CRTC content strictures drawn up without the need for additional legislation or oversight. As the bill’s official FAQ states, only after it becomes law will the CRTC decide 'how it should implement the new powers afforded by the Bill.'

"Michael Geist, a University of Ottawa professor and the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law, has been among one of the most persistent critics of Bill C-10, calling it 'dangerous,' and 'inexcusable.' In a February blog post, Geist noted that aside from C-10’s infringements on free expression, it could spark blowback.... Geist cites the experience of Facebook in Australia.... [After]  Australia passed legislation requiring the social media giant to compensate news companies whenever a link was shared on its platform ... Facebook simply banned the sharing of news content by Australian users, restoring it only after Australian legislation was amended.

"The penalties prescribed by Bill C-10 are substantial. For corporations, a first offence can yield penalties of up to $10 million, while subsequent offences could be up to $15 million apiece. If TikTok, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are suddenly put in a situation where their millions of users must follow the same rules as a Canadian cable channel or radio station, it’s not unreasonable to assume they may just follow Facebook’s example and take the nuclear option." 

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/news/full-blown-assault-on-free-expression-inside-the-comprehensive-liberal-bill-to-regulate-the-internet

There was good news in 2020

2020 Did Bring Some Good News | Reason - John Stossel:

December 30, 2020 - "Was 2020 the worst year ever? The media keep saying that. We did have the pandemic, a bitter election, unemployment, riots, and a soaring national debt. But wait, look at the good news, says historian Johan Norberg. His new book, Open: The Story of Human Progress, points out how life keeps getting better, even if people just don't realize it.

"2020 was 'the best year in human history to face a pandemic,' he says. Had the pandemic happened in 2005, 'You wouldn't have the technology to create mRNA vaccines.... In 1990,' he continues, "we wouldn't have a worldwide web. If we had had this pandemic in 1976, we wouldn't have been able to read the genome of the virus. And…in 1950, we wouldn't have had a single ventilator.'

"These last 20 years, adds Norberg, have been especially good. 'Mankind has attained more wealth than ever.' I push back: 'There's more to life than wealth! And lot of this money went to the top 1 percent. Ordinary people think they're doing worse.'

'If you look at specifics like global poverty, child mortality, chronic undernourishment, and illiteracy,' Norberg replies, 'they all declined faster than ever.' Those things are pretty good measures of quality of life....

Of course, there were bad trends in 2020. Murder rose in the United States. Social media algorithms divided us further. 'Suicide is up,' I tell Norberg. 'I can definitely see the problems,' he replies, 'but once upon a time, if you ended up in the wrong school or neighborhood, you had nowhere to go—no other community available to you. Now there is, and that opens up a world of opportunity. Some awful things as well, but some beautiful things.'

"That meant that even during this pandemic, people found new ways to help others. Volunteers used the internet to find better ways to donate their time. Young people brought food to the elderly. Zoom and Slack taught us that not being in the office sometimes works as well, or better. Businesses had new tools with which to adapt. Restaurants moved to takeout and delivery, aided by apps like UberEats and Grubhub. Such healthy adaptation rarely makes news, because reporters seek out problems."

Read more: https://reason.com/2020/12/30/2020-did-bring-some-good-news/

Russians rally for internet freedom

Russians Protest Ban On Telegram App During Traditional May Day Parade - Radio Free Europe::

May 1, 2018 - "Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg to protest against government attempts to curtail Internet freedom -- marching defiantly while more than 100,000 other Russians took part in the traditional May Day parade....

"The May Day parade has become a highly orchestrated show of power by Russian authorities and the ruling United Russia party in recent years, with demonstrators refraining from criticizing the government. "But demonstrators this year marched through the streets to protest the government's ban on the popular messaging app Telegram.

"About 10,000 people rallied in Moscow on April 30 to protest the blocking of Telegram, chanting that Russian President Vladimir Putin 'is a thief!'

"The event was organized by the Libertarian Party of Russia, which has called the attempts to block Telegram 'a national shame.' Opposition politician Aleksei Navalny ... has scheduled another demonstration for May 5."

Read more: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-protest-ban-on-telegram-app-during-traditional-may-day-parade/29202739.html


Vera Kichanova, Boundless Liberty:

May 1, 2018: "More than 12,000 people ... rallied in Moscow to defend internet freedom today. The rally was organised by the Libertarian Party of Russia. Our largest event so far!...

"Two weeks ago the encrypted messaging app Telegram was blocked in Russia after Telegram had refused to hand over its encryption keys to the Russian secret service. The ban hit not just Telegram but over 15 million IP addresses used by Telegram in Russia including Google, Amazon, Spotify and many more. In a matter of days Russians were cut off from the global internet so that users couldn't even check their emails....

"On a positive side, when and where was the last time you've seen (any) Libertarian party getting over 10,000 people to the streets?"

Read more: https://www.facebook.com/BoundlessLiberty/posts/1491927464263890?notif_id=1525193333570803&notif_t=page_post_reaction&ref=notif
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Ontario cannabis entrepreneurs to defy new law

Why Toronto's cannabis 'grey market' 'ain't going nowhere' as legalization looms - Toronto - CBC News - Salma Ibrahim:

February 12, 2018 - "They've been raided, warned and put on notice. But as legalization looms, players who describe themselves as part of Toronto's cannabis "grey market" say they simply aren't going anywhere....

"Many dispensary owners and lounge operators say they're part of a grey market, not a black market, because they say their status under the law is murky and ambiguous. But currently, the only legally sold weed is for medical purposes and is delivered by licensed producers via Canada Post. Storefront dispensaries, medical or otherwise, are illegal. Lounges, under the proposed Cannabis Act, would also be outside the law....

"There were high hopes that the existing distribution network would be adopted into a legal framework post-legalization but the province has set up an LCBO subsidiary to be the only legal retailer of cannabis. Nonetheless, players in the existing network of businesses refuse to be pushed out. There are 219 weed delivery services and 66 dispensaries listed in Toronto on Weedmaps — a popular app that maps and reviews cannabis shops and strains in North America....

"Justin Loizos ... owns Just Compassion, a medical pot dispensary in Toronto's west end, and believes he is poised to adapt his business model enough to squeeze into the legal framework. ''I could put a doctor's office out front, a vapour lounge here, bongs for sale, maybe some [hydroponic] equipment,' he said. It all depends on the legal regulations the province lays down, he says. Either way, he has no plans to leave the industry....

"Loizos set up shop after finding that cannabis provided rare relief from his struggles with multiple sclerosis and PTSD. He says his shop allows people with medical needs quicker access to the drug than Health Canada's current delivery system....

"Tania Cyalume ... used to run Queens of Cannabis, a dispensary that was shut down by Toronto police.... Now, she's moved her business to a more flexible model. 'There are various pop-up markets in the city every month and so we've just been jumping around from place to place and our patients follow us,' she said.... The pop-up market organizers are very careful to keep their location a secret so that they're not targeted by police....

"[T]here will likely still be a demand for underground pot after marijuana is legalized, argues at least one expert.... Miles Light, founder of the Colorado-based Marijuana Policy Group ... blames this gap on the 'bottleneck' that will be created if only 80 storefronts open up in Ontario, a province of over 14 million people, by 2019 as promised.

"'Colorado has over 800 outlets and we only have five million people so if the consumers can't get marijuana at a reasonable access point then they'll probably return to the black market.'"

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/joint-ventures-black-market-1.4528840
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The free market's safety net

The Sharing Economy Is a Free Market Safety Net - Foundation for Economic Education - Working for a free and prosperous world - Brittany Hunter:

September 15, 2017 - "The sharing economy has been one of the most groundbreaking market creations in our modern time even though its concept is quite simple. If you own a car, you can earn money as a driver. If you have an apartment or home, you can earn money renting out the space. There really isn’t much to the sharing economy. If you have property or a skill that is in demand by another consumer, you have the ability to earn money. And for those in between jobs or trying to figure out their next employment move, the sharing economy can be a lifesaver....

"I once had the pleasure of riding with a driver who was currently out of work while she was recovering from surgery ... and ... had used up all her paid time off.... But thanks to Uber, my driver didn’t have to worry about income or filing for short-term disability or other welfare programs while she waited to get back to work. She was earning money while avoiding the stir-crazy feelings of being trapped inside her house while she healed.

"Another driver I rode with in DC had recently moved to the United States from the Middle East and was trying to start his own catering business. Not only did Uber allow him to pay his bills while he was starting his business, it also helped him network. Each of his passengers was given a business card and one free 'trial' meal which he would personally deliver....

"I could tell dozens of these stories, as I am sure many of you could as well. Ridesharing helped all these drivers provide for their well being and even helped some build their businesses. But ridesharing is only one small sector in the broader sharing economy.

"One of the most stressful components of sudden unemployment is the worry that rent won’t be paid. But the homesharing sector has also provided a solution. As long as you have a friend who is willing to let you sleep on their couch or perhaps family who resides nearby, there are ways to rent out your lodgings in order to pay the bills.

"But the sharing economy is not limited to property. There are many who many find themselves unemployed without either a car or a rentable living space, but they may have a skill. Smartphone apps like TaskRabbit allow users to sell their own labor. If you possess the muscles needed to move boxes all day, you can become a mover. If you are capable of mowing a lawn, you can find someone in need of a yard trimming.... For those in the beauty or wellness world, there are also apps that will connect cosmetologists and hairstylists to clients....

"Work is not some construct invented by evil capitalists.... It is a source of pride and self-esteem.... When that daily opportunity to take pride in creation is removed because a person is unemployed, especially for longer periods of time, there are psychological impacts that extend far beyond the stress that comes with money problems. In fact, depression and unemployment are an ominous duo.

"Uber and ridesharing in general is a great way to not only socialize with other humans, but can also be beneficial for preparing for an interview. Once you are able to master the art of conversation without the often accompanying nerves, you have gained a skill that may help during the interview process.

"Is the sharing economy the perfect solution to the problem of unemployment? Absolutely not. But neither is our current unemployment system.... Our current unemployment system comes with red tape, strings attached, and a whole lot of bureaucracy. And all this must be endured before even receiving that first unemployment check. But so long as the government allows the existence of the sharing economy, the market can continue offering nearly instant employment opportunities to those looking for work."

Read more: https://fee.org/articles/the-sharing-economy-is-a-free-market-safety-net/
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Banned independence vote held in Catalonia

Hidden ballot boxes, encrypted texts: How Catalans staged their referendum - CNN - Erin McLaughlin, Claudia Rebaza and Elena Gyldenkerne:

October 5, 2017 - "Officers with Spain's national security forces, in full riot gear, smashing their way into polling stations, dragging women out by the hair, and firing rubber bullets indiscriminately into crowds as they turned out to vote. It was all part of a coordinated crackdown on Catalonia's disputed independence referendum – banned by Spain's highest court, but held in defiance of Madrid by Catalonia's passionate separatists....

"Despite the attempt to thwart the vote, more than 2 million Catalans made their voice heard. Now CNN has learned more details of the extraordinary covert operation that was mounted to ensure the referendum took place. A network of thousands of officials and volunteers squirreled away ballot boxes, conferred by encrypted messages and met in secret in an effort to get as many people to the polls as possible.

"From the educators who opened up their schools to the people who ferried the ballots and anyone who counted the votes, all risked a fine of up to 300,000 euros (about $350,000). Higher-ranking officials could even face jail. The chief of the Catalan police force, Josep Lluís Trapero, was called to Madrid this week to answer accusations of sedition, or fomenting a rebellion against the state, a crime that carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence....

"The plotters started using Whatsapp, but were worried it was compromised and turned to other encrypted platforms such as Telegram and Signal. Meetings were held in secret, some were canceled last minute out of fear.... The ballot boxes were assembled at the last minute.... In order to try to fool Spanish authorities, the components -- the plastic box, the lid, the insignias, and the box ties -- were stored in separate places.

"The night before the vote, ... activists slept at his assigned school to make sure authorities didn't seal it off. People tucked into sleeping bags spread across the gym floor.... By dawn there was a line of voters.... Some stood for hours, hearts racing as word spread that polling stations were being raided. Tweets and Facebook posts popped up on smartphones, showing voters and coordinators being beaten by the national police....

"Madrid denies that excessive force was used. 'If there was any use of force by police, in any way, it was because they were prevented from doing what they were asked to do,' Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis told CNN.

"Voting was plagued by technical difficulties and confusion.... At some stations, voter identities could not be verified electronically. People were allowed to vote anyway. The final result is still being tallied.

"The Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, is expected to make a unilateral declaration of independence at some point after a special session of the Catalan Parliament on Monday."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/05/europe/catalonia-referendum-covert-operation/index.html
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Uber banned in London

London's Uber Ban Shines Light on the Sorry State of the Rule of Law - Foundation for Economic Education - Working for a free and prosperous world:

October 2, 2017 - "Transport for London (TfL), the government agency responsible for regulating transportation in the UK’s capital, recently decided to revoke Uber’s license to operate within Greater London. While many advocates of free choice and innovative technology have lambasted the decision as bad for the poor and (in the words of Chris Philp, MP) 'anti-free market,' the root cause of the problem — discretionary powers — remains unaddressed....

"British jurist Albert Venn Dicey, known for his 1885 work Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution, [wrote] that the Rule of Law means 'the absolute supremacy or predominance of regular law as opposed to the influence of arbitrary power, and excludes the existence of arbitrariness, of prerogative, or even wide discretionary authority on the part of the government' .... In other words, the law cannot be implemented arbitrarily according to the official’s own whims but must be implemented according to legal principles such as reasonableness, rationality, effectiveness, and proportionality, to name but a few.

"The Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act of 1998 ... provides that no 'private hire' operator, such as Uber, may operate in London without a license. To obtain a license, a private hire operator must apply to TfL. TfL, in turn, has absolute (or arbitrary) discretion in who it does or does not grant a license to. Section 3(4) provides that a license may be granted only if 'such conditions as may be prescribed and such other conditions as the [TfL] may think fit.' The remainder of the Act is littered with similar provisions giving TfL unjustifiable amounts of power to decide what it 'requires' from prospective and re-applying private hire operators to have them licensed....

"TfL provides an explanation for the revocation of Uber’s license. Among other things, it is not satisfied with Uber’s 'approach' to reporting crimes and how Uber obtains medical certificates....  It also criticises Uber for using security software Greyball to obstruct regulatory authorities. Greyball apparently enabled Uber to identify potentially-unwanted passengers and make it more difficult for them to book a ride....

"The UK is not the only country adopting a flexible approach to the Rule of Law when it comes to suppressing disruptive technologies. South Africa’s transport minister also recently played with the fanciful notion that he is able to create law from thin air by simply making a press statement and require Uber drivers – who operate differently from regulated taxi services in the country – to obtain permits. Section 1(c) of South Africa’s constitution, however, provides for the supremacy of the Rule of Law, and despite government’s ignorance of this provision, ministers can’t simply legislate from the sidelines.

"The UK and South African governments’ decisions to repress Uber, most likely to appease local taxi unions, comes at the expense of consumers. While many argue that Uber has flouted laws all over the globe by working essentially as taxis — but not being subject to the same regulation as other taxis — the issue is not Uber, but the laws themselves. Uber has truly revolutionized transportation by providing a quick, mostly-affordable method of getting a ride somewhere. Tourists no longer need to struggle over language barriers and subject themselves to haggling by uncooperative taxi drivers, because the app does it all for them. Laws which hinder this kind of innovation should be done away with, and there is no doubt that other taxi services would also benefit without excessive regulation.

"Government’s incessant desire to be in control of everything illustrates the whole point of the existence of the Rule of Law: to ensure tempered, reasoned, and constrained governance. The UK is the birthplace of the modern understanding of the Rule of Law, and it would be wise for it to live up to its tenets. A good place to start would be to repeal or fundamentally revise the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act."

Read more: https://fee.org/articles/londons-uber-ban-shines-light-on-the-sorry-state-of-the-rule-of-law/?utm_medium=push&utm_source=push_notification
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A newbie's guide to Uber and Lyft

What is Uber, What is Lyft, and Which Should You Use? - Jess Bolluyt, Gear & Style Cheat Sheet:

March 26, 2016 - "Whether you need a safe way to get home after a night out or are seeking a ride to the airport, there’s little reason to call a cab anymore. In most cities, the easiest way to get a ride is to fire up your smartphone, open an app like Uber or Lyft, and with a few taps, a car will be on its way to you. These services are generally cheaper than a taxi, and Uber specifically is continually cutting its rates — which can be great for users, but not so great for drivers — in order to create a service that’s cheaper and more convenient than actually owning a car.

"When you request a ride, your driver will automatically get directions to your destination, and you pay for your ride with the debit card or credit card you’ve saved in the app. These services are designed to offer a more convenient and connected version of taxis, which can be time-consuming or difficult to hail. Here’s what you need to know about the two leading ride-sharing apps, and how you can choose which one is best for you.

"Uber and Lyft are the two ride-sharing apps that dominate in most cities. You’ve probably heard about them in recent headlines, since they’re disrupting the traditional taxi industry and using tactics both innovative and aggressive to build workforces of independent drivers. Uber was founded in 2009, and Lyft was founded in 2012. Both services offer iOS and Android apps, and Uber offers an app for Windows phone users, too. While there are plenty of apps that enable you to hail a licensed taxi, Uber and Lyft are different, because each has its own drivers....

"Drivers for both Uber and Lyft offer different types of cars and services, and depending on how many people you have with you and what kind of vehicle you prefer, you can select what ride to request via the Uber or Lyft app. Lyft has fewer options than the many you can select from in Uber’s app, but its services cover everything that the average user will need when requesting a ride. A standard Lyft has room for you and up to three friends, while Lyft Plus is a higher-priced ride for up to six passengers. Both services also offer carpooling services, which give you a lower-cost ride if you share the car with another passenger; Uber’s is uberPool, and Lyft’s is Lyft Line.

"UberX is the company’s most affordable option, followed by uberXL, which is an inexpensive service for larger groups of people. UberSELECT is a service that takes “the next step toward luxury,” followed by UberBLACK, which gets you a ride with a professional chauffeur in a livery-registered black luxury car. Finally, UberSUV has the highest base fare, with a luxurious vehicle that has room for you and a bunch of friends. In some cities, Uber also offers UberLux, with higher-end cars, and UberAssist, for seniors and people with disabilities, who need extra assistance or a vehicle that can accommodate a wheelchair.

"Despite their differences, the services and their apps have similarities, too. To ride with Uber or Lyft, you’ll open the app and follow the on-screen instructions to hail a ride. Each app will show you a map of your current location and show you the available cars nearby.... When you enter your destination and request a ride — and optionally get an estimate of how much it’s going to cost — a nearby driver will accept the request.

"You’ll be able to see your driver’s profile, complete with his or her name, a headshot, information on the make and model of their car, a photo of said car, and an estimate of how many minutes it’ll take the driver to get to you. Some drivers will call or text you when they arrive, and when you spot the car, you can get in. On the ride to your destination, you’ll be able to sit back and relax as the driver navigates to your destination. (You can also check your route in the app.) At the end of the ride, you’ll be able to see the final cost, give your driver feedback, and if you’re using Lyft, add a tip. One thing that people love about Uber and Lyft is that they’ll never need to fumble with cash or a card, which makes it considerably more convenient than a traditional cab.

"Additionally, Uber and Lyft have the same requirements for their drivers, and while you should be as careful about your safety as you would when taking a cab, both background-check their drivers, and you can report any problems directly to the company — something that you can’t do as easily with a traditional taxi company."

Read more: http://www.cheatsheet.com/gear-style/what-is-uber-what-is-lyft-and-which-should-you-use.html/?a=viewall
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NH libertarians offer free rides New Year's Eve

Giving Drunks a Ride Home On New Year's Could Be a $500 Fine in the "Live Free Or Die" State - Keith Farrell, Libertarian Republic:

December 31, 2015 - "If you’re giving a drunk person a ride home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire this New Year’s Eve you could face a stiff fine. To be sure, you better not accept any gas money or a tip for your time. It’s part of the city’s crackdown aimed at the ride share service Uber. For one local man, the regulation spurred the idea to launch a free ride service for the holiday in protest.

"'I just want to get as many people home safely as possible,' said Christopher David.... David is a libertarian and a Free State Project activist. He says that the Portsmouth regulation and enforcement of ride share restrictions are motivated by pressure being exerted by special interests; specifically the owner of the area’s largest taxi company, Great Bay Taxi. As is usual in areas where Uber has begun to operate, companies like Great Bay Taxi lobby to restrict Uber’s operation as a way of limiting competition. In Portsmouth, it has gone even farther.

"Great Bay’s owner, John Palreiro, actually pulled his cabs out of the city the night before Thanksgiving in protest. He threatened to do the same on New Year’s Eve unless the city cracked down and began enforcing an existing ordinance against Uber.

"The restrictions and pressure angered David, who used to drive for Uber.... In protest, David has organized a free ride share service for the evening. He’s already had 40 passengers sign up for rides. David and the 10 drivers he has organized will be doing a great service for the community, providing safe rides for people who will most likely be inebriated.

"Originally, David and his drivers were going to accept tips, but when local police got word of their plans ... Portsmouth Acting Deputy Police Chief Frank Warchol disagreed. If the drivers offer completely free rides, 'then it doesn’t fall under the ordinance,' he said. 'If they accept donations, they would fall under the ordinance.'

"The penalty for violating the ordinance is $500 for the first offense, $1,000 for any subsequent offense.

"So David assures me that for tonight all rides will given completely free of any compensation. But he doesn’t plan on stopping there.

"'My plan is to launch a decentralized competitor to Uber,' David informed me.

"He’s already in the process of developing an app which he says will launch in about a month’s time. It’s called Arcade City.

"'The police are already threatening to fine users and it isn’t even out yet,' David laughed.

Read more: http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/giving-drunks-a-ride-home-on-new-years-could-be-a-500-fine-in-the-live-free-or-die-state/
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Fast Company profiles Uber CEO Travis Kalanick

What Makes Uber Run | Fast Company | Business + Innovation - Max Chafkin:

September 8, 2015 - "Jordan Kretchmer remembers what Travis Kalanick was like before Uber was Uber.... He was in his early thirties, an engineer who talked like a sales guy, smart as hell and high on life. He wore a cowboy hat and referred to himself as the Wolf, after the cold-blooded, coolly rational fixer played by Harvey Keitel in Pulp Fiction. He was tireless — always on the move, always thirsty....

"Although Kalanick had been a startup guy since high school, he was a grinder, not a mogul. He had made enough on his last one, RedSwoosh, to buy a house and do a bit of angel investing. Uber, the on-demand transportation app that he cofounded with Garrett Camp in 2009, was still more or less a toy, a personal limo service for the founders and their friends in San Francisco. When Camp, who’d bought back his old company StumbleUpon at about the same time, asked Kalanick to run Uber full-time, Kalanick [initially] said no....

"In five years, Uber, which dispatches low-cost taxis and limousines operated by independent drivers, is likely the fastest-growing startup in history. It has more than 1 million active ­drivers — meaning they did at least one trip in the past week — operating in 330 cities (as of mid-August) and a valuation of $51 billion, which is roughly equivalent to the market capitalization of General Motors. It is a global phenomenon that is redesigning urbanites’ relationship with the world around them, transforming their smartphones into control pads for their harried lives. Uber — the first company since Google with a service so popular that its name is in regular use as both a noun and a verb — has spawned an entire category of business known as the one-tap economy: Millions of people now routinely open an app to enlist a distributed workforce to deliver groceries, hot meals, and their clean laundry on demand.

"But no other one-tap-economy company has changed society like Uber has. The availability of cheap and reliable transportation has helped spur a real estate surge in San Francisco and a nightlife boom in downtown Los Angeles while also (at least according to some studies) reducing drunk driving. Uber’s classification of its drivers as independent contractors has sparked a national conversation about the changing nature of employment and has made Uber a litmus test on jobs for the 2016 presidential candidates. Elsewhere, Uber has been seen as a stand-in for the excesses of global capitalism, prompting violent protests in Paris and Mexico City.

"All of this influence has come at the price of Kalanick’s reputation. The 39-year-old has been presented in an almost cartoonish light, coming off as either a Randian Superman, a Snidely Whiplash–style mustache-twirling villain, or both. And yet Kalanick has wooed some of the most august financiers in the world to give him, essentially, a blank check. Key staff members from some of the world’s best-run organizations, including Facebook’s head of security, President Barack Obama’s campaign manager, and a good-size chunk of Carnegie Mellon’s driverless-car research division, have gone to work for him."

Read more: http://www.fastcompany.com/3050250/what-makes-uber-run
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Kentucky teen's game hidden in Rand Paul app

Northern Kentucky Teen Creates Hidden Component in Rand Paul's Campaign App | River City News:

September 7, 2015 - "A Northern Kentucky teen played a role in the development of Senator Rand Paul's presidential campaign app.

"That app was developed by Covington-based digital agency CanDo and within it is a so-called "Easter egg", a feature of an app not expressly visible by users. In the Rand Paul app, the hidden feature is a "Space Invaders"-like game created by Villa Madonna High School junior David Blincoe while interning at CanDo over the past summer. CanDo founder Rob Ratterman works closely with the Paul campaign....

"'I kind of like to call it Rand Invader,' Blincoe said of his game. 'It was (Ratterman's) idea and I worked on it. The day before vacation, he told me about it. I worked on it all through vacation and then I really didn’t think anything of it. I didn’t really know that it would be an Easter Egg in the app, but then I was told about a week ago that it was going into the app, so it surprised me, but it was awesome.'

"The game allows users to use Paul’s campaign torch to blast other presidential campaign slogans. The app was featured in a New York Times article that stated, 'It tries to offer a blend of digital mischief and communication that has come to be the hallmark of Mr. Paul’s online campaign.' Vocativ also got a kick out of the game, writing an article about finding the game inside the app.

"Blincoe put in a lot of time developing the Rand Invader.

"'It was probably around four weeks, for an average of three hours a day,' he said. 'This is actually the first time I’ve ever created anything like this, but I’ve done a lot of work with other program languages and have done some work on Java Script, but nothing this intensive so I had to learn a lot....
"
"'So far the feedback has been great. I’ve been praised around here at the school. People walk up to me and say that they downloaded it and that it’s so cool. I haven’t really gotten a huge response outside of Villa yet, but as far as I can tell, the overall review on the IoS and its Play Store are pretty good,' Blincoe said. 'I have not heard from (Paul), but it would be really cool if I did.'"

Read more: http://www.rcnky.com/articles/2015/09/07/northern-kentucky-teen-creates-hidden-component-rand-pauls-campaign-app
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Download app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cando.randapp&hl=en

Paris cabbies strike & riot to protest Uber

French anti-Uber protests turn violent as cabbies burn cars - Yahoo News UK - Agence France Presse::

June 25, 2015 - "Protests in France against ride-booking app Uber turned violent on Thursday as taxi drivers burned cars and blocked access to airports and train stations.

"Some 2,800 cabbies took part in the strike, with more than 30 blockades nationwide, including the access points to Paris's Charles De Gaulle and Orly airports, police sources said.

"Taxi drivers in France are furious over an Uber service called UberPOP, which puts customers in touch with private drivers at prices lower than those of traditional taxis....

"One private chauffeur, who said he did not work for Uber 'or any other app' was dragged from his van by angry cabbies when he reached a blockade in the west of Paris. They slashed his tyres, smashed a window and then set it on fire.

"'Why did you come to work, you know we're on strike today,' shouted one cabbie, while AFP journalists saw another car on fire further down the road....

"Police eventually fired tear gas and broke up the protest on the western stretch of motorway, clearing burning tyres from the road that rings the capital, but there were later attempts to stall traffic....

"Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve called for calm and said he had told prosecutors to bring a prohibition order against the UberPOP service....

"Cabbies in France, like their colleagues in several other countries, have held several protests against the app -- some of which have turned violent, with Uber clients and drivers reporting being assaulted.

"On at least two occasions in Strasbourg in the east of France last week, taxi drivers posed as customers in order to lure Uber drivers to isolated spots where they were assaulted by cab drivers and their vehicles damaged.s"

Read more: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/french-anti-uber-protests-turn-112758946.html#3AW0Ql7
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NYC seizes 500 cars in Uber crackdown

496 Uber cars seized by New York City authorities - Business Insider - Graham Rapier:

June 17, 2015 - "Facing increasing pressure from the taxi industry, authorities in New York have begun to crack down on Uber — issuing tickets and seizing cars of Uber drivers who participate in illegal pickups in the city.

"Between April 29 and June 15, the New York Post reports that NYC authorities seized 496 cars from Uber drivers taking illegal street hails, mostly at the three airports in the region....

"Uber spokesman Matt Wing said that 'street hails are not permitted on the Uber platform — period. This is a small group of bad actors and the violations add up to less than one hundredth of one percent of our rides over the same time period'....

"The seizures of Uber cars were part of a larger operation that confiscated a total of 938 for-hire vehicles operating illegally, according to Taxi and Limousine Commission spokesman Allan Fromberg....

"Uber will soon face a major test in New York. Mayor Bill de Blasio will appear in court on June 22 to face allegations from four of the city’s largest taxi financiers that the city should not have permitted any passenger pick-ups through an app. They allege that an 'e-hail' is synonymous with a traditional street hail, the exclusive domain of yellow cabs."

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/496-uber-cars-seized-by-new-york-city-authorities-2015-6
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Eight great libertarian apps (video)

8 Great Libertarian Apps! - Reason.com - Nick Gillespie & Joshua Swain:

April 9, 2015 - "Here are 8 great  apps that make your world a little freer—and a whole lot easier to navigate.

Waze is a real-time, crowd-sourced map that not only tells you about traffic jams and finds the cheapest nearby gas station for you but also warns you of speed traps, police checkpoints, and ticket cams....

Open WhisperSystem’s Red Phone and Text Secure provide easy end-to-end encryption for phone calls, text messages, and chats. If you’re on Apple iOS, check out Signal.

Meerkat and Periscope allow you to livestream everything from your kids’ soccer games to police stops directly to Twitter....

The Peacekeeper Emergency Response System app cultivates 'benevolence' and independence in communities by allowing you to create your own personal emergency response network so that friends, family, and others can come to your aid at a moment’s notice—and you can come to theirs.

And then of course there’s Uber, the ride-sharing app that almost singlehandedly undermined taxi cab cartels all over the world....

http://reason.com/reasontv/2015/04/09/libertarian-apps
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