June 08, 2026
The city of Seattle urged the Ninth Circuit not to revisit a panel decision backing its app-based worker deactivation ordinance against a First Amendment challenge from Uber and Instacart, arguing the companies are trying to turn an ordinary worker protection law into a speech case.
March 04, 2026
A divided Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday rejected Uber and Instacart's attempt to block a Seattle law regulating deactivation of app-based worker accounts, rejecting the companies' contention that the ordinance amounts to a First Amendment violation.
July 10, 2025
A Ninth Circuit panel appeared split on Thursday while hearing Uber and Instacart's challenge to a Seattle city ordinance regulating deactivation of app-based worker accounts, with the judges seemingly at odds on whether the law forced commercial speech while still unconvinced of a First Amendment violation.
January 17, 2025
Instacart has joined Uber's fight against Seattle's new app-based worker account deactivation rules, with both companies urging the judge who refused to temporarily block the law to grant a stay while the companies appeal to the Ninth Circuit.
January 02, 2025
A Washington federal judge denied Uber's bid to temporarily bar the city of Seattle from enforcing new app-based worker account deactivation rules against it, finding the day before the challenged ordinance took effect that the company is unlikely to succeed in its claims of a First Amendment violation.
December 19, 2024
A Seattle ordinance aimed at preventing app-based workers from being unfairly deactivated from apps they use poses "grave constitutional problems," Uber alleged in a suit filed Wednesday in Washington federal court, saying the local law forces the transportation company to express views inconsistent with how it approaches privacy and safety.