On Monday, two of Uber’s most prominent European executives were arrested in France over the company’s supposed illegality, according to Politico.
Uber’s French general manager Thibaud Simphal and regional general manager for Western Europe Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty were both arrested following a pre-arranged meeting with police. It appears the two men could be held for a -full-day for questioning.
Uber released a statement saying they ultimately hoped to resolve the ongoing issues that have been plaguing France due to the ride share’s presence. The reason for the issues with Uber’s UberPop app in France stem from the passing of a law last year that made contractual-type apps illegal in France. However, the courts have neglected to enforce the newly-passed law.
In the last few weeks, organized protests across France have turned violent and have threatened the safety of drivers and riders. The protests were arranged due to the belief by many that Uber drivers circumvented the strict licensing process that other contract-drivers must go through.