Uber backlash: taxi drivers' protests in Paris part of global revolt

The taxi-hire company faces resistance worldwide, signalling trouble for other 'sharing economy' companies, such as AirBnB

"Got chased by a mob of taxi drivers who threw rocks," tweeted the singer Courtney Love from Charles de Gaulle airport. She was caught up in what is becoming a global trend: the backlash against Uber. French taxi drivers were protesting on Thursday at vehicles operated by drivers working for the Californian business, which functions like a taxi-hire company, but via smartphones and without directly employing its drivers.

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