I believe there are very few black and white circumstances in life. There are some, yes, but this situation has a lot of gray to it.
Yesterday, SB Nation announced plans to end the contracts of every paid contributor (read: “independent contractor”) for California communities. This is in response to a new law, AB 5, passed by the California State Legislature in September and taking effect on January 1st. Intended to target companies like Uber and Lyft (who are essentially ignoring the law altogether), SB Nation’s current system of paid contributors falls under this umbrella.