Waymo Goes Direct‑to‑Rider

Waymo will end exclusive partnerships with third‑party ride apps in some cities and accept hails directly through its own app, prioritizing a consistent product and direct customer relationship. The change affects where and how autonomous fleets show up, who owns the user experience and routing data, and how revenues and margins are split between OEMs and aggregators. — If robotaxi operators prefer direct channels, platform gatekeepers like Uber/Lyft could lose leverage over autonomous fleet economics, data control, and urban deployment patterns.