Thursday's opinion from the court's advocate general finds that Uber is not the so-called information society service it claims to be, because the company's policies and app designs influence when, how and whether its independent drivers pick up passengers.

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“Uber cannot be regarded as a mere intermediary between drivers and passengers,” the opinion reads.

The finding marks the latest in a string of setbacks for Uber, which faces the prospect of stricter regulation should a final court ruling concur with this week's nonbinding opinion. The case could also hold wider implications for the so-called “gig economy” in Europe as regulators grapple with changing patterns of commerce, employment and technology.

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The advocate general's opinion is merely advisory in nature. But the opinion will be taken into consideration by the senior-most court in the European Union, which will issue its final ruling later this year.

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Under the advocate general's interpretation of the law, Uber could be required to seek licenses and permits to operate in Barcelona, where the case first arose, according to a Thursday statement from the court.

The suit, filed by a local taxi association, saw Uber arguing that it is an “information society service,” a label that entitles the company to lighter regulation. But the advocate general said Uber does not meet a number of qualifying tests for the regulatory classification.

Uber said Thursday that it had seen the advocate general's opinion and would await the court's final ruling.

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“Being considered a transportation company would not change the way we are regulated in most EU countries,” Uber said in a statement, “as that is already the situation today. It will, however, undermine the much needed reform of outdated laws which prevent millions of Europeans from accessing a reliable ride at the tap of a button.”

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Uber is operating in 21 European countries.

In 2016, Uber launched its UberX service in Madrid after authorities there forced the company out roughly a year before. Unlike its counterpart in the United States, UberX drivers in Spain must be licensed professionals, not just private citizens with a car of their own.

Uber has faced legal battles in a number of other countries across the Atlantic, including Italy, the United Kingdom and Denmark — the last of which Uber said it would withdraw from after a law passed mandating the use of fare meters and other equipment.

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