LEGAL REGULATION OF TAXI AGGREGATORS AND DRIVERS: A COMPARATIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS OF KAZAKHSTAN AND INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE

Abstract

The article examines contemporary approaches to the legal regulation of taxi aggregators (digital platforms that mediate between passengers and drivers) in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the European Union, the United States, and the Russian Federation. The study covers the latest legislative changes and judicial practice from 2023 to 2025, including key cases: City of New York v. Uber Technologies Inc., C-434/15 Asociación Profesional Elite Taxi v. Uber Spain, and the case of Ospan A.A. v. Glovo Kazakhstan LLP. In the format of a comparative legal analysis, issues of the employment status of drivers (self-employment vs. hired labor), algorithmic management and social and labor guarantees, as well as new approaches to the taxation of digital platforms (e.g., the VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) package in the EU) are discussed. Special attention is paid to the regulatory framework for the platform economy in Kazakhstan (digital reforms 2023–2025) and Russian legislation (Federal Law No. 580 and amendments 2023–2025). The results show that, despite the global nature of aggregator businesses, legal solutions vary significantly: the EU seeks to ensure labor rights for platform workers through the presumption of employment relationships and the regulation of algorithms, the US relies on local regulation of payment terms and partial judicial mechanisms, while Kazakhstan and Russia are in the process of forming their own regulatory models, which are currently focused more on registration and control than on social protection. In conclusion, recommendations are offered for improving the legal regulation of taxi aggregators, taking into account the balance of interests between platforms, drivers, and society.