Uber appears to be on the wrong side of the law — again. Authorities in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou raided the ride-sharing firm’s offices on Thursday. As part of the raid, cellphones and other gear was confiscated from the offices. In a statement to The Guangzhou Daily, officials said that the company is “suspected of organizing private cars which are not qualified to provide passenger services, and of not having registered with the commercial authorities.”
Uber offices in South China are raided for potential regulation violations
This past January, China passed stricter nationwide restrictions on taxi companies as it worked to grapple with the arrival of disruptive ride-sharing apps. The rules specifically banned the use of private or unlicensed cars and drivers. Uber has been challenged around the world for trying to use non-accredited, private taxi and limousine drivers. The raid on Thursday appeared to be a check to see if Uber is playing by the rules.
An Uber spokesperson tells The Wall Street Journal that it is “cooperating closely with local authorities to continue to offer our service to the residents of Guangzhou.” The company added that its services continue to be operational in China and Guangzhou despite the raid.
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