The emergence of the term “uberization” is often associated with the idea of ​​a startup or a new business model in the digital economy capable of rapidly challenging and disrupting an established, traditional model. This concept was inspired by Uber’s models (ride-hailing and Uber Pop), which are perceived as threats to the traditional taxi industry. Some also link the term to processes of innovation and economic disruption. For example, BlaBlaCar’s model could be considered a potential form of uberization for the French national railway company, SNCF. A striking example of successful uberization could be the near disappearance of free newspapers in the face of the rise of the classifieds website Leboncoin.

It is worth noting that the term “uberization” has lost relevance, or even become obsolete, following the numerous challenges faced by Uber in 2017. While the underlying phenomenon remains relevant, Uber may no longer be the best example to illustrate it. Thus, some now prefer to use the concept of “Amazonification” to describe a threat that has clearly materialized. This approach is based on a similar logic but highlights a proven threat. In short, uberization, while still relevant, is evolving into new terms to describe contemporary economic dynamics.