Uber Sues Seattle to Block New Courier Deactivation Ordinance

Uber Technologies Inc. and a subsidiary are suing the city of Seattle over its courier deactivation law, arguing it forces the company to use certain speech when implementing its policies, in violation of the First Amendment.

In its complaint filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington, Uber also said the ordinance, which takes effect Jan. 1, restricts free association by forcing the company to keep food and beverage couriers who have proven to be unsafe or unreliable indefinitely active on its platform.

Uber’s decisions about when a courier’s access should be deactivated are based on ...