All these days he has managed to be in the information spotlight. The truth is that Uber for Android has become famous in Spain. Even if it is based on criticism and accusations of unfair competition, or demands for immediate closure. For now, it remains on Google Play, and has even started a new beta phase for a future update that would improve it, so I don't think the developers are thinking about an upcoming closure of what is their business. In any case, precisely because of the much controversy it is generating, and because we may still have some of our clueless readers who have not heard about the matter, today in Androidsis, we talk about Uber. And we do it to ask ourselves:Why the Uber application for Android causes so much controversy?
Let's start by explaining what Uber for Android is for those who don't already know . Uber is an app that allows any user to book a private car at a specific time and place for a trip of their choosing. In other words, it's a service very similar to a taxi, except that in this case, it's not provided by a taxi driver; the price is set directly by the app, and payment must be made through it. And of course, there are no taxes, salaries, or social security contributions for those who work in this service.
Although it's not the first time Uber has tried to market itself like the many other ride-sharing services operating in our country , the differences are vast. In fact, I'm a fan of the former and completely opposed to using an app as harmful as Uber. The controversy lies precisely in comparing the two platforms and concluding that the one we're analyzing today is driven by a clear profit motive, a purely commercial activity, and no regard for safety. A driver using the app acts directly as a taxi driver, even though they don't pay for a license, aren't registered as self-employed, and don't undergo the inspections required of vehicles used for public transportation. Furthermore, Uber pays them after we pay for the service, after deducting their commission.
Against all this, which in my opinion, and also in the opinion of many users who express this view on Google Play itself, criticism is rife, and the issue has even been discussed in traditional media. The protest by taxi drivers in Barcelona has also raised the stakes and highlights the need for digital regulation that should clarify in more detail what constitutes a business in itself, and what is simply a way to share expenses without direct economic benefit for either party.
Update imminent
But Uber seems to care very little about what taxi drivers think , what the media reports, or the many criticisms it has received on Google Play. Rather, they intend to carry on as if nothing has changed, for as long as it lasts. In fact, they have already invited users of their current app to a new beta version for Android, in which they supposedly plan to improve the application, although at no point do they consider a system change that includes customer safety and, above all, compliance with current Spanish laws that require anyone who performs paid work to declare taxes and pay their social security contributions.
