Uber’s Digital Platforms are Subject to a New Blocking Measure

On April 4, 2017 the Court of Appeals in Criminal Matters and Misdemeanors of the City of Buenos Aires (the “Court of Appeals”) confirmed a decision rendered by a court of first instance, which ordered the preemptive shutdown and blocking of the https://drive.www.uber.com/argentina website, and of the digital platforms, apps and any other technical resources that allow the hiring and/or use of the  transport services provided by Uber Technologies, Inc., Uber Argentina SRL y/o Uber B.V. (more information here).

After the preemptive measure was granted, Internet access providers expressed certain technical difficulties in blocking the https://drive.www.uber.com/argentina website. In light of this, the prosecutor requested the courts to adjust the measure and block the domain. The court of first instance rejected this petition, because it considered that it was a request for a new measure and its implementation would cross Argentina’s borders.

On appeal, the Court of Appeals revoked this decision. Following the same criteria expressed in its prior decision, it stated that the multiple orders issued to stop the behavior questioned by the proceedings had not achieved their goal, which jeopardized the purpose of the granted injunctions. For this reason, and considering that it was the only possible means to properly implement the requested measure, the Court of Appeals granted the prosecutors’ request and ordered the preemptive shutdown and blocking of www.uber.com and any other digital platform that allows the hiring of Uber’s transporting services.