Current:Home > StocksUber lobbied and used 'stealth' tech to block scrutiny, according to a new report-InfoLens
Uber lobbied and used 'stealth' tech to block scrutiny, according to a new report
View Date:2024-12-23 10:10:54
WASHINGTON — As Uber aggressively pushed into markets around the world, the ride-sharing service lobbied political leaders to relax labor and taxi laws, used a "kill switch'' to thwart regulators and law enforcement, channeled money through Bermuda and other tax havens and considered portraying violence against its drivers as a way to gain public sympathy, according to a report released Sunday.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a nonprofit network of investigative reporters, scoured internal Uber texts, emails, invoices and other documents to deliver what it called "an unprecedented look into the ways Uber defied taxi laws and upended workers' rights.''
The documents were first leaked to the Brtiish newspaper The Guardian, which shared them with the consortium.
In a written statement. Uber spokesperson Jill Hazelbaker acknowledged "mistakes'' in the past and said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, hired in 2017, had been "tasked with transforming every aspect of how Uber operates ... When we say Uber is a different company today, we mean it literally: 90% of current Uber employees joined after Dara became CEO.''
Founded in 2009, Uber sought to skirt taxi regulations and offer inexpensive transportation via a ride-sharing app. The consortium's Uber Files revealed the extraordinary lengths that the company undertook to establish itself in nearly 30 countries.
The company's lobbyists — including former aides to President Barack Obama — pressed government officials to drop their investigations, rewrite labor and taxi laws and relax background checks on drivers, the papers show.
The investigation found that Uber used "stealth technology'' to fend off government investigations. The company, for example, used a "kill switch'' that cut access to Uber servers and blocked authorities from grabbing evidence during raids in at least six countries. During a police raid in Amsterdam, the Uber Files reported, former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick personally issued an order: "Please hit the kill switch ASAP ... Access must be shut down in AMS (Amsterdam).''
The consortium also reported that Kalanick saw the threat of violence against Uber drivers in France by aggrieved taxi drivers as a way to gain public support. "Violence guarantee(s) success,'' Kalanick texted colleagues.
In a response to the consortium, Kalanick spokesman Devon Spurgeon said the former CEO "never suggested that Uber should take advantage of violence at the expense of driver safety.''
The Uber Files say the company cut its tax bill by millions of dollars by sending profits through Bermuda and other tax havens, then "sought to deflect attention from its tax liabilities by helping authorities collect taxes from its drivers.''
veryGood! (58855)
Related
- Jana Duggar Reveals She's Adjusting to City Life Amid Move Away From Farm
- Mother, 37-year-old man arrested after getting involved in elementary school fight: Reports
- The elusive Cougar's Shadow only emerges twice a year – and now is your last chance to see it until fall
- MacKenzie Scott, billionaire philanthropist, donates $640M to support 361 nonprofits
- Will Trump’s hush money conviction stand? A judge will rule on the president-elect’s immunity claim
- Shop Amazon’s Big Spring Sale for Festival-Ready Fashion for Coachella, Stagecoach & More
- Christine Quinn's 2-Year-Old Son Taken to Hospital After Husband Christian Dumontet's Assault Arrest
- Christine Quinn's Husband Christian Dumontet Arrested for Assault With Deadly Weapon
- Why the US celebrates Veterans Day and how the holiday has changed over time
- Powerball winning numbers for March 20 drawing as jackpot soars to $687 million
Ranking
- Donna Kelce Includes Sweet Nod to Taylor Swift During Today Appearance With Craig Melvin
- Shop Amazon’s Big Spring Sale for Festival-Ready Fashion for Coachella, Stagecoach & More
- Presbyterian earns first March Madness win in First Four: No. 1 South Carolina up next
- Who has the best AI? Tech expert puts ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity to the test
- KFC sues Church's Chicken over 'original recipe' fried chicken branding
- Lukas Gage describes 6-month marriage to Chris Appleton as a 'manic episode'
- Idaho prisoner Skylar Meade at large after accomplice ambushed hospital, shot at Boise PD
- Angela Chao, Mitch McConnell’s sister-in-law, was drunk when she drove into pond, police say
Recommendation
-
Champions Classic is for elite teams. So why is Michigan State still here? | Opinion
-
2-year-old struck, killed after 3-year-old gets behind wheel of truck at California gas station
-
Lukas Gage describes 6-month marriage to Chris Appleton as a 'manic episode'
-
Paris 2024 organizers to provide at least 200,000 condoms to athletes in Olympic Village
-
Monument erected in Tulsa for victims of 1921 Race Massacre
-
It’s not just a theory. TikTok’s ties to Chinese government are dangerous.
-
Judge rejects Apple's request to toss out lawsuit over AirTag stalking
-
Shop Like a Frugal Billionaire in Amazon Outlet's Big Spring Sale Section, With Savings Up to 68% Off