For its part, Uber maintains that it isn't doing anything wrong. It took "great precaution" to stay on the right side of the law, according to a statement. It even suggests that the lawsuit has a sinister motive, since news of it broke at an anti-Prop 1 event. Whether or not there's a hidden agenda is likely beside the point, though. It's hard to deny that Uber messaged a lot of people without permission, and in many cases did it multiple times.

Whatever happens, the vote (which happens today, May 7th) could be crucial to deciding the fate of ridesharing in Austin. Both Uber and its rival Lyft have threatened to quit Austin if Prop 1 doesn't pass. That could be a big blow to a city that not only thrives on music and tech conferences, but is highly dependent on cars -- its mass transit system isn't exactly world-famous. At the same time, it's hard to imagine concerned locals backing down when a handful of drivers have committed sexual assault and other crimes that might have been prevented through stricter background checks.