The law is not immutable. It's an evolving code of moral/social expectations and norms that changes as societies change. At the end of the day, this was a busi

The law is not immutable. It's an evolving code of moral/social expectations and norms that changes as societies change. At the end of the day, this was a business decision. Uber weighed the potential costs ($1m in fines, no jail time, minor brand damage to an already-sleazy brand) against the potential gain ($10's of m in revenue, foothold in new market, disruption of competitors) and decided to break the law. If "society" did not want Uber to break the law, it would need to raise the associated costs. Almost everyone besides taxi driver unions/medallion-holders is apathetic to Uber's transgressions. Thus the taxi unions are weakened and the law changes to reflect changing social sentiment.