California Ride-Hailing Ruling Could Affect Freelancer Status of Some Sex Workers

California Ride-Hailing Ruling Could Affect Freelancer Status of Some Sex Workers

SAN FRANCISCO — In a case which may have consequences for cam models and sex workers who rely on a single platform for a majority of their income, a judge ordered ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft this afternoon to re-classify their California drivers from independent contractors to employees.

The ruling would make Uber and Lyft employers, and would mandate them to provide the newly classified employees with benefits, in accordance with the AB5 legislation that came into effect on January 1.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman, who issued the injunction, also paused it for 10 days to allow for an appeal. The ride-hailing companies are expected to appeal the judge’s preliminary injunction in favor of the State of California. If upheld, the ruling could, according to Bloomberg News, “make them halt their services as they figure out how to adjust their business model to comply with it.”

Judge Schulman agreed with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra that Uber and Lyft are violating AB5.

The legislation — currently undergoing a revision process in Sacramento via a follow-up “clean-up” bill outlining exceptions — states that “workers can generally only be considered contractors if they perform duties outside the usual course of a company’s business,” according to Bloomberg.

Today’s ruling may have an impact on California cam models and other sex workers, if the State, or the workers themselves, decide to argue that their performances constitute duties that are essential to “the usual work” of a camming platform, cam studio or premium platform’s business.

The case is California v. Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc., CGC-20-584402, at the California Superior Court (San Francisco).

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Ohio AG Threatens Action Against 'Major' Adult Sites Over AV Law

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today that his office is sending "notice of violation" letters to 19 adult websites for failure to comply with the state's recently enacted age verification law.

Chaturbate Announces 2025 Music Contest Winners

Chaturbate has revealed the winners of its 2025 music competition.

2026 XBIZ Exec Awards Pre-Noms Open With Debut of New 'Impact' Honors

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the pre-nomination period for the 2026 XBIZ Exec Awards, the adult industry’s premier career honor, begins today and runs through Oct. 14.

MYM Launches New Traffic System

German creator platform MYM has launched a new traffic system for its members.

Ukrainian Content Creators on Hook for Nearly $10M in Back Taxes

Content creators in Ukraine owe the equivalent of $9.3 million in back taxes, according to the country's State Tax Service.

Updated: European Patent Office Board of Appeals Revokes EIS GmbH Patent

The European Patent Office (EPO) Board of Appeals last week ruled in favor of pleasure brand LELO in the company's ongoing dispute with Satisfyer parent company EIS GmbH.

Eroutique Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Eroutique has relaunched its official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Update: Pornhub Will Not Block Ohio, Despite AV Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo will not block access to its websites in Ohio, despite new state age verification rules that came into effect Sept. 30.

Pineapple Support, Pornhub to Host 'ADHD-Friendly' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Pornhub are hosting a free online support group for performers with ADHD.

Judge Dismisses Some Claims in 'Children of Pornhub' Trafficking Suit

A United States district judge on Friday dismissed some but not all claims against Aylo in a long-running case involving CSAM allegations featured in the influential 2020 New York Times article “The Children of Pornhub.”

Show More