<s>
Uber	B-Application
Technologies	I-Application
,	I-Application
Inc	I-Application
.	I-Application
or	O
Uber	B-Application
is	O
an	O
American	O
mobility	O
as	O
a	O
service	O
provider	O
based	O
in	O
San	O
Francisco	O
,	O
California	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Concerns	O
have	O
also	O
been	O
raised	O
about	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
retention	O
of	O
customer	O
data	O
,	O
particularly	O
in	O
the	O
wake	O
of	O
their	O
handling	O
of	O
data	O
leaks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
has	O
been	O
criticized	O
for	O
its	O
strategy	O
of	O
generally	O
commencing	O
operations	O
in	O
a	O
city	O
without	O
regard	O
for	O
local	O
regulations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
faced	O
with	O
regulatory	O
opposition	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
called	O
for	O
public	O
support	O
for	O
its	O
service	O
and	O
mounted	O
a	O
political	O
campaign	O
,	O
supported	O
by	O
lobbying	O
,	O
to	O
change	O
regulations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
argued	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
"	O
a	O
technology	O
company	O
"	O
and	O
not	O
a	O
taxi	O
company	O
,	O
and	O
therefore	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
subject	O
to	O
regulations	O
affecting	O
taxi	O
companies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
's	O
strategy	O
was	O
generally	O
to	O
"	O
seek	O
forgiveness	O
rather	O
than	O
permission	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
's	O
response	O
to	O
California	O
Assembly	O
Bill	O
5	O
(	O
2019	O
)	O
,	O
whereby	O
it	O
announced	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
not	O
comply	O
with	O
the	O
law	O
,	O
then	O
engaged	O
lobbyists	O
and	O
mounted	O
an	O
expensive	O
public	O
opinion	O
campaign	O
to	O
overturn	O
it	O
via	O
a	O
ballot	O
,	O
was	O
cited	O
as	O
an	O
example	O
of	O
this	O
policy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Taxi	O
companies	O
sued	O
Uber	B-Application
in	O
numerous	O
American	O
cities	O
,	O
alleging	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
policy	O
of	O
violating	O
taxi	O
regulations	O
was	O
a	O
form	O
of	O
unfair	O
competition	O
or	O
a	O
violation	O
of	O
antitrust	O
law	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
some	O
courts	O
did	O
find	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
intentionally	O
violated	O
the	O
taxi	O
rules	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
prevailed	O
in	O
every	O
case	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
only	O
case	O
to	O
proceed	O
to	O
trial	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2017	O
,	O
an	O
investigation	O
by	O
The	O
New	O
York	O
Times	O
revealed	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
developed	O
a	O
software	O
tool	O
called	O
"	O
Greyball	B-Application
"	O
to	O
avoid	O
giving	O
rides	O
to	O
known	O
law	O
enforcement	O
officers	O
in	O
areas	O
where	O
its	O
service	O
was	O
illegal	O
such	O
as	O
in	O
Portland	O
,	O
Oregon	O
,	O
Australia	O
,	O
South	O
Korea	O
,	O
and	O
China	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
at	O
first	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
stated	O
that	O
it	O
only	O
used	O
the	O
tool	O
to	O
identify	O
riders	O
that	O
violated	O
its	O
terms	O
of	O
service	O
,	O
after	O
investigations	O
by	O
Portland	O
,	O
Oregon	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Department	O
of	O
Justice	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
admitted	O
to	O
using	O
the	O
tool	O
to	O
skirt	O
local	O
regulations	O
and	O
promised	O
not	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
tool	O
for	O
that	O
purpose	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
Greyball	B-Application
in	O
London	O
was	O
cited	O
by	O
Transport	O
for	O
London	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
reasons	O
for	O
its	O
decision	O
not	O
to	O
renew	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
private	O
hire	O
operator	O
licence	O
in	O
September	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
January	O
2018	O
report	O
by	O
Bloomberg	O
News	O
stated	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
routinely	O
used	O
a	O
"	O
panic	O
button	O
"	O
system	O
,	O
codenamed	O
"	O
Ripley	O
"	O
,	O
that	O
locked	O
,	O
powered	O
off	O
and	O
changed	O
passwords	O
on	O
staff	O
computers	O
when	O
those	O
offices	O
were	O
subjected	O
to	O
government	O
raids	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
allegedly	O
used	O
this	O
button	O
at	O
least	O
24	O
times	O
,	O
from	O
spring	O
2015	O
until	O
late	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2014	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
employees	O
were	O
caught	O
ordering	O
and	O
then	O
quickly	O
cancelling	O
rides	O
on	O
competing	O
services	O
Lyft	B-Application
and	O
Gett	B-Application
,	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
disrupt	O
these	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2014	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
was	O
also	O
accused	O
of	O
recruiting	O
people	O
to	O
use	O
competing	O
services	O
for	O
the	O
sole	O
purpose	O
of	O
recruiting	O
their	O
drivers	O
to	O
Uber	B-Application
,	O
at	O
which	O
point	O
the	O
recruiter	O
would	O
receive	O
a	O
commission	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
denied	O
that	O
it	O
had	O
any	O
involvement	O
with	O
the	O
cancellation	O
of	O
orders	O
or	O
the	O
recruitment	O
efforts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2017	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
agreed	O
to	O
pay	O
$20	O
million	O
to	O
the	O
Federal	O
Trade	O
Commission	O
to	O
resolve	O
allegations	O
of	O
having	O
misled	O
drivers	O
about	O
potential	O
earnings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2017	O
,	O
a	O
class	O
action	O
lawsuit	O
was	O
filed	O
on	O
behalf	O
of	O
thousands	O
of	O
Uber	B-Application
drivers	O
,	O
alleging	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
’s	O
“	O
upfront	O
prices	O
”	O
policy	O
did	O
not	O
provide	O
drivers	O
with	O
the	O
80%	O
of	O
fares	O
to	O
which	O
they	O
were	O
entitled	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2017	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
New	O
York	O
Taxi	O
Workers	O
Alliance	O
(	O
NYTWA	O
)	O
filed	O
a	O
class-action	O
lawsuit	O
in	O
federal	O
court	O
in	O
New	O
York	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
admitted	O
to	O
underpaying	O
New	O
York	O
City	O
drivers	O
tens	O
of	O
millions	O
of	O
dollars	O
over	O
2.5	O
years	O
by	O
calculating	O
driver	O
commissions	O
on	O
a	O
net	O
amount	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
agreed	O
to	O
pay	O
the	O
amounts	O
owed	O
plus	O
interest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
late	O
January	O
2017	O
,	O
GrabYourWallet	O
advised	O
to	O
boycott	O
Uber	B-Application
because	O
the	O
company	O
did	O
not	O
join	O
its	O
Protests	O
against	O
Executive	O
Order	O
13769	O
,	O
while	O
Travis	O
Kalanick	O
,	O
then	O
CEO	O
of	O
Uber	B-Application
,	O
was	O
a	O
member	O
of	O
Donald	O
Trump	O
's	O
"	O
business	O
advisory	O
council	O
"	O
and	O
GrabYourWallet	O
was	O
advising	O
boycotts	O
of	O
businesses	O
with	O
ties	O
to	O
Trump	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Approximately	O
200,000	O
users	O
deleted	O
the	O
Uber	B-Application
mobile	O
app	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
19	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
former	O
Uber	B-Application
engineer	O
Susan	O
Fowler	O
published	O
on	O
her	O
website	O
that	O
she	O
was	O
propositioned	O
for	O
sex	O
by	O
a	O
manager	O
and	O
subsequently	O
threatened	O
with	O
termination	O
of	O
employment	O
by	O
another	O
manager	O
if	O
she	O
continued	O
to	O
report	O
the	O
incident	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
27	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Amit	O
Singhal	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
Senior	O
Vice	O
President	O
of	O
Engineering	O
,	O
was	O
forced	O
to	O
resign	O
after	O
he	O
failed	O
to	O
disclose	O
a	O
sexual	O
harassment	O
claim	O
against	O
him	O
that	O
occurred	O
while	O
he	O
served	O
as	O
Vice	O
President	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Search	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
investigations	O
led	O
by	O
former	O
attorney	O
general	O
Eric	O
Holder	O
and	O
Arianna	O
Huffington	O
,	O
a	O
member	O
of	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
board	O
of	O
directors	O
,	O
in	O
June	O
2017	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
fired	O
over	O
20	O
employees	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
departing	O
the	O
company	O
in	O
June	O
2017	O
was	O
Emil	O
Michael	O
,	O
a	O
senior	O
vice	O
president	O
who	O
suggested	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
hire	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
opposition	O
researchers	O
and	O
journalists	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
million-dollar	O
budget	O
,	O
to	O
"	O
dig	O
up	O
dirt	O
"	O
on	O
the	O
personal	O
lives	O
and	O
backgrounds	O
of	O
media	O
figures	O
who	O
reported	O
negatively	O
about	O
Uber	B-Application
,	O
specifically	O
targeting	O
Sarah	O
Lacy	O
,	O
editor	O
of	O
PandoDaily	O
,	O
who	O
,	O
in	O
an	O
article	O
published	O
in	O
October	O
2014	O
,	O
accused	O
Uber	B-Application
of	O
sexism	O
and	O
misogyny	O
in	O
its	O
advertising	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2018	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
agreed	O
to	O
pay	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
$7	O
million	O
to	O
settle	O
claims	O
of	O
gender	O
discrimination	O
,	O
harassment	O
,	O
and	O
hostile	O
work	O
environment	O
,	O
with	O
480	O
employees	O
and	O
former	O
employees	O
receiving	O
$	O
10,700	O
each	O
and	O
56	O
of	O
those	O
employees	O
and	O
former	O
employees	O
receiving	O
an	O
additional	O
$	O
33,900	O
each	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Senator	O
Al	O
Franken	O
,	O
Chairman	O
of	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Senate	O
Judiciary	O
Subcommittee	O
on	O
Privacy	O
,	O
Technology	O
and	O
the	O
Law	O
,	O
expressed	O
concerns	O
regarding	O
ride	O
sharing	O
privacy	O
,	O
specifically	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
"	O
God	O
View	O
"	O
,	O
whereby	O
the	O
whereabouts	O
of	O
specific	O
customers	O
,	O
including	O
journalists	O
and	O
politicians	O
,	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
be	O
tracked	O
by	O
Uber	B-Application
insiders	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2014	O
,	O
in	O
response	O
to	O
Franken	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
implemented	O
restrictions	O
on	O
that	O
function	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
,	O
an	O
Uber	B-Application
employee	O
tracked	O
the	O
frequency	O
of	O
probable	O
one-night	O
stands	O
in	O
six	O
U.S.	O
cities	O
by	O
day	O
and	O
neighborhood	O
,	O
by	O
correlating	O
late-night	O
and	O
next-day	O
trips	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
blog	O
posting	O
coined	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
ride	O
of	O
glory	O
"	O
for	O
the	O
Uber	B-Application
equivalent	O
of	O
a	O
walk	O
of	O
shame	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
27	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
admitted	O
that	O
it	O
had	O
suffered	O
a	O
data	O
breach	O
more	O
than	O
nine	O
months	O
prior	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
discovered	O
this	O
leak	O
in	O
September	O
2014	O
,	O
but	O
waited	O
more	O
than	O
five	O
months	O
to	O
notify	O
the	O
affected	O
individuals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hackers	O
used	O
employees	O
 '	O
usernames	O
and	O
passwords	O
that	O
had	O
been	O
compromised	O
in	O
previous	O
breaches	O
(	O
a	O
"	O
credential	O
stuffing	O
"	O
method	O
)	O
to	O
gain	O
access	O
to	O
a	O
private	O
GitHub	B-Application
repository	O
used	O
by	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
hackers	O
located	O
credentials	O
for	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
Amazon	B-Application
Web	I-Application
Services	I-Application
datastore	O
in	O
the	O
repository	O
files	O
,	O
and	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
obtain	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
account	O
records	O
of	O
users	O
and	O
drivers	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
other	O
data	O
contained	O
in	O
over	O
100	O
Amazon	B-General_Concept
S3	I-General_Concept
buckets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
paid	O
a	O
$	O
100,000	O
ransom	O
to	O
the	O
hackers	O
on	O
the	O
promise	O
they	O
would	O
delete	O
the	O
stolen	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
was	O
subsequently	O
criticized	O
for	O
concealing	O
this	O
data	O
breach	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2018	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
largest	O
multi-state	O
settlement	O
of	O
a	O
data	O
breach	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
paid	O
$148	O
million	O
to	O
the	O
Federal	O
Trade	O
Commission	O
,	O
admitted	O
that	O
its	O
claim	O
that	O
internal	O
access	O
to	O
consumers	O
 '	O
personal	O
information	O
was	O
closely	O
monitored	O
on	O
an	O
ongoing	O
basis	O
was	O
false	O
,	O
and	O
stated	O
that	O
it	O
had	O
failed	O
to	O
live	O
up	O
to	O
its	O
promise	O
to	O
provide	O
reasonable	O
security	O
for	O
consumer	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
in	O
November	O
2018	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
British	O
divisions	O
were	O
fined	O
£	O
385,000	O
(	O
reduced	O
to	O
£	O
308,000	O
)	O
by	O
the	O
Information	O
Commissioner	O
's	O
Office	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
Paradise	O
Papers	O
,	O
a	O
set	O
of	O
confidential	O
electronic	B-Protocol
documents	I-Protocol
relating	O
to	O
offshore	O
investment	O
,	O
revealed	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
is	O
one	O
of	O
many	O
corporations	O
that	O
used	O
an	O
offshore	O
company	O
to	O
minimize	O
taxes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2021	O
,	O
an	O
arbitrator	O
ruled	O
against	O
Uber	B-Application
in	O
a	O
case	O
involving	O
Lisa	O
Irving	O
,	O
a	O
blind	O
American	O
customer	O
with	O
a	O
guide	O
dog	O
who	O
was	O
denied	O
rides	O
on	O
14	O
separate	O
occasions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
was	O
ordered	O
to	O
pay	O
US	O
$1.1	O
million	O
,	O
reflecting	O
$	O
324,000	O
in	O
damages	O
and	O
more	O
than	O
$	O
800,000	O
in	O
attorney	O
fees	O
and	O
court	O
costs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
court	O
of	O
Amsterdam	O
ruled	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
has	O
to	O
reinstate	O
and	O
pay	O
compensation	O
to	O
six	O
drivers	O
that	O
were	O
allegedly	O
automatically	O
terminated	O
solely	O
due	O
to	O
algorithms	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
in	O
violation	O
of	O
Article	O
22	O
of	O
GDPR	O
,	O
which	O
relates	O
to	O
automated	O
decisions	O
causing	O
"	O
legal	O
or	O
significant	O
impact	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
challenged	O
the	O
ruling	O
,	O
claiming	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
aware	O
of	O
the	O
case	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
judgement	O
was	O
brought	O
by	O
default	O
without	O
the	O
company	O
ever	O
being	O
notified	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
the	O
decision	O
was	O
upheld	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2021	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
was	O
sued	O
in	O
London	O
over	O
allegations	O
that	O
its	O
facial	O
recognition	O
system	O
is	O
not	O
able	O
to	O
effectively	O
identify	O
people	O
with	O
darker	O
skin	O
and	O
has	O
precluded	O
some	O
people	O
from	O
using	O
the	O
platform	O
,	O
thereby	O
discriminating	O
against	O
people	O
of	O
color	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Driver	O
evaluation	O
relies	O
on	O
Uber	B-Application
’s	O
star	O
rating	O
system	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
lawsuit	O
says	O
disproportionately	O
leads	O
to	O
the	O
firing	O
of	O
people	O
who	O
are	O
not	O
white	O
or	O
who	O
speak	O
with	O
accents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
case	O
argues	O
that	O
“	O
Uber	B-Application
’s	O
reliance	O
on	O
customer	O
ratings	O
to	O
determine	O
driver	O
termination	O
constitutes	O
race	O
discrimination	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
is	O
widely	O
recognized	O
that	O
customer	O
evaluations	O
of	O
workers	O
are	O
frequently	O
racially	O
biased.	O
”	O
The	O
lawsuit	O
was	O
dismissed	O
in	O
August	O
2021	O
due	O
to	O
lack	O
of	O
evidence	O
to	O
prove	O
that	O
the	O
rating	O
system	O
has	O
a	O
racially	O
disparate	O
impact	O
and	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
intentionally	O
discriminated	O
against	O
the	O
lead	O
plaintiff	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Uber	B-Application
Files	O
are	O
a	O
leaked	O
database	O
of	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
activities	O
in	O
about	O
40	O
countries	O
from	O
2013	O
to	O
2017	O
leaked	O
by	O
former	O
senior	O
executive	O
Mark	O
MacGann	O
,	O
who	O
admits	O
being	O
"	O
partly	O
responsible	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
The	O
Guardian	O
on	O
10	O
July	O
2022	O
,	O
which	O
shared	O
the	O
database	O
of	O
more	O
than	O
124,000	O
files	O
with	O
the	O
International	O
Consortium	O
of	O
Investigative	O
Journalists	O
(	O
ICIJ	O
)	O
and	O
42	O
other	O
media	O
outlets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
included	O
e-mails	O
,	O
iMessages	O
and	O
WhatsApp	B-Application
messages	O
sent	O
between	O
its	O
senior	O
leadership	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
memos	O
,	O
presentations	O
and	O
other	O
internal	O
documents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
documents	O
revealed	O
attempts	O
to	O
lobby	O
powerful	O
figures	O
including	O
George	O
Osborne	O
,	O
former	O
Chancellor	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Exchequer	I-Application
,	O
German	O
chancellor	O
Olaf	O
Scholz	O
during	O
his	O
mayorship	O
in	O
Hamburg	O
,	O
Germany	O
,	O
and	O
U.S	O
president	O
Joe	O
Biden	O
during	O
his	O
vice	O
presidency	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
re-elected	O
French	O
president	O
Emmanuel	O
Macron	O
secretly	O
aiding	O
Uber	B-Application
lobbying	O
in	O
France	O
during	O
his	O
cabinet	O
membership	O
on	O
the	O
French	O
government	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
files	O
also	O
document	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
tools	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
greyball	B-Application
"	O
,	O
used	O
to	O
mislead	O
local	O
police	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
kill	B-Device
switch	I-Device
deployed	O
during	O
police	O
raids	O
to	O
conceal	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Former	O
Uber	B-Application
CEO	O
Travis	O
Kalanick	O
dismissed	O
concerns	O
from	O
other	O
executives	O
that	O
sending	O
Uber	B-Application
drivers	O
to	O
a	O
protest	O
in	O
France	O
put	O
them	O
at	O
risk	O
of	O
violence	O
from	O
angry	O
opponents	O
in	O
the	O
taxi	O
industry	O
,	O
saying	O
"	O
I	O
think	O
it	O
's	O
worth	O
it	O
,	O
violence	O
guarantees	O
success	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
executives	O
met	O
with	O
multiple	O
heads	O
of	O
state	O
,	O
often	O
by-passing	O
the	O
mayors	O
and	O
transport	O
authorities	O
who	O
were	O
supposed	O
to	O
regulate	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Texts	O
between	O
Macron	O
and	O
Uber	B-Application
co-founder	O
Travis	O
Kalanick	O
suggest	O
that	O
Macron	O
might	O
have	O
secretly	O
helped	O
Uber	B-Application
expand	O
in	O
France	O
when	O
he	O
was	O
economy	O
minister	O
,	O
with	O
Macron	O
even	O
telling	O
the	O
company	O
that	O
he	O
had	O
brokered	O
a	O
secret	O
deal	O
with	O
its	O
opponents	O
in	O
the	O
French	O
cabinet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
the	O
French	O
police	O
banned	O
one	O
of	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
services	O
in	O
Marseille	O
,	O
Macron	O
was	O
reported	O
to	O
have	O
told	O
Mark	O
MacGann	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
chief	O
lobbyist	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
that	O
he	O
would	O
look	O
into	O
the	O
issue	O
personally	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Neelie	O
Kroes	O
,	O
former	O
EU	O
digital	O
chief	O
,	O
was	O
accused	O
of	O
secretly	O
helping	O
Uber	B-Application
by	O
lobbying	O
Dutch	O
politicians	O
,	O
including	O
prime	O
minister	O
Mark	O
Rutte	O
,	O
during	O
her	O
18-month	O
"	O
cooling-off	O
period	O
"	O
after	O
leaving	O
the	O
European	O
Commission	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
she	O
denied	O
any	O
wrongdoing	O
,	O
an	O
Uber	B-Application
lobbyist	O
told	O
colleagues	O
that	O
her	O
relationship	O
was	O
"	O
highly	O
confidential	O
and	O
should	O
not	O
be	O
discussed	O
outside	O
this	O
group	O
”	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
her	O
request	O
to	O
formally	O
work	O
for	O
Uber	B-Application
was	O
denied	O
by	O
European	O
Commission	O
president	O
Jean-Claude	O
Juncker	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
executives	O
also	O
criticised	O
leaders	O
who	O
pushed	O
back	O
against	O
their	O
lobbyists	O
,	O
calling	O
Olaf	O
Scholz	O
(	O
then	O
mayor	O
of	O
Hamburg	O
)	O
"	O
a	O
real	O
comedian	O
"	O
for	O
insisting	O
on	O
drivers	O
getting	O
a	O
minimum	O
wage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
leaked	O
documents	O
showed	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
launched	O
a	O
charm	O
offensive	O
targeting	O
leading	O
media	O
barons	O
in	O
Europe	O
and	O
India	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
secure	O
more	O
favorable	O
treatment	O
from	O
their	O
governments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Le	O
Monde	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
hired	O
Avisa	O
Partners	O
,	O
known	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
as	O
iStrat	O
,	O
to	O
manipulate	O
public	O
debate	O
in	O
favour	O
of	O
Uber	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Uber	B-Application
offices	O
were	O
raided	O
by	O
police	O
or	O
regulatory	O
agencies	O
,	O
a	O
"	O
kill	B-Device
switch	I-Device
"	O
was	O
used	O
to	O
cut	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
data	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
when	O
the	O
French	O
competition	O
regulator	O
,	O
the	O
DGCCRF	O
,	O
raided	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
offices	O
in	O
Paris	O
,	O
de	O
Kievit	O
asked	O
an	O
engineer	O
in	O
Denmark	O
to	O
"	O
please	O
kill	O
access	O
now	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
claims	O
the	O
kill	B-Device
switches	I-Device
were	O
not	O
intended	O
to	O
obstruct	O
justice	O
,	O
but	O
rather	O
to	O
protect	O
IP	O
,	O
customer	O
privacy	O
,	O
and	O
due	O
process	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Through	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
a	O
tool	O
named	O
Greyball	B-Application
,	O
Uber	B-Application
was	O
capable	O
of	O
targeting	O
selected	O
individuals	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
local	O
police	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
fake	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
app	O
that	O
displayed	O
fake	O
cars	O
that	O
would	O
never	O
arrive	O
if	O
contacted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Greyball	B-Application
was	O
deployed	O
in	O
countries	O
including	O
Belgium	O
,	O
the	O
Netherlands	O
,	O
Germany	O
,	O
Spain	O
and	O
Denmark	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
knowledge	O
of	O
senior	O
management	O
such	O
as	O
Kalanick	O
and	O
Pierre-Dimitri	O
Gore-Coty	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
said	O
that	O
it	O
stopped	O
using	O
the	O
app	O
in	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
5	O
December	O
2014	O
,	O
a	O
passenger	O
was	O
assaulted	O
in	O
an	O
Uber	B-Application
cab	O
by	O
its	O
driver	O
in	O
New	O
Delhi	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
this	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
was	O
temporarily	O
withdrawn	O
and	O
then	O
forced	O
to	O
manage	O
operations	O
through	O
an	O
Indian	O
subsidiary	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
also	O
ran	O
into	O
disputes	O
with	O
the	O
Reserve	O
Bank	O
of	O
India	O
,	O
the	O
Income	O
Tax	O
department	O
and	O
consumer	O
courts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
this	O
,	O
a	O
'	O
kill	B-Device
switch	I-Device
 '	O
was	O
used	O
to	O
prevent	O
Indian	O
authorities	O
accessing	O
evidence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uber	B-Application
Manager	O
Rob	O
van	O
der	O
Woude	O
described	O
the	O
system	O
in	O
an	O
e-mail	O
-	O
"	O
what	O
we	O
did	O
in	O
India	O
is	O
have	O
the	O
city	O
team	O
be	O
as	O
cooperative	O
as	O
possible	O
and	O
have	O
 [ Uber ] 	O
BV	O
take	O
the	O
heat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
we	O
kept	O
directing	O
the	O
authorities	O
to	O
talk	O
to	O
 [ Uber ] 	O
BV	O
representatives	O
instead.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
another	O
mail	O
,	O
Allen	O
Penn	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
Asia	O
head	O
,	O
told	O
employees	O
"	O
we	O
will	O
generally	O
stall	O
,	O
be	O
unresponsive	O
,	O
and	O
often	O
say	O
no	O
to	O
what	O
they	O
want	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Indian	O
Express	O
also	O
found	O
that	O
in	O
most	O
Uber	B-Application
cabs	O
,	O
safety	O
features	O
mandated	O
by	O
the	O
Delhi	O
Government	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
panic	O
button	O
,	O
were	O
not	O
present	O
or	O
did	O
not	O
work	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
one	O
exchange	O
,	O
Kalanick	O
was	O
quoted	O
as	O
saying	O
that	O
sending	O
Uber	B-Application
drivers	O
to	O
a	O
protest	O
in	O
France	O
was	O
"	O
worth	O
it	O
"	O
,	O
despite	O
the	O
risk	O
of	O
violence	O
from	O
angry	O
taxi	O
drivers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Washington	O
Post	O
reported	O
that	O
the	O
documents	O
,	O
together	O
with	O
interviews	O
with	O
Uber	B-Application
drivers	O
,	O
showed	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
knowingly	O
created	O
working	O
conditions	O
that	O
resulted	O
in	O
its	O
drivers	O
barely	O
scraping	O
by	O
,	O
and	O
created	O
a	O
system	O
that	O
rewarded	O
drivers	O
for	O
taking	O
routes	O
and	O
schedules	O
that	O
put	O
them	O
at	O
risk	O
of	O
harm	O
in	O
violence-plagued	O
areas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jill	O
Hazelbaker	O
,	O
Uber	B-Application
's	O
senior	O
vice-president	O
of	O
public	O
affairs	O
,	O
issued	O
a	O
statement	O
:	O
"	O
We	O
have	O
not	O
and	O
will	O
not	O
make	O
excuses	O
for	O
past	O
behaviour	O
that	O
is	O
clearly	O
not	O
in	O
line	O
with	O
our	O
present	O
values	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Travis	O
Kalanick	O
's	O
spokesperson	O
said	O
that	O
Kalanick	O
"	O
never	O
authorised	O
any	O
actions	O
or	O
programs	O
that	O
would	O
obstruct	O
justice	O
in	O
any	O
country	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
he	O
"	O
never	O
suggested	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
should	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
violence	O
at	O
the	O
expense	O
of	O
driver	O
safety	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
questioned	O
by	O
a	O
journalist	O
from	O
Le	O
Monde	O
about	O
his	O
meetings	O
with	O
Uber	B-Application
officials	O
between	O
2014	O
and	O
2016	O
,	O
Macron	O
said	O
he	O
was	O
"	O
proud	O
"	O
to	O
have	O
supported	O
the	O
company	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
he	O
would	O
"	O
do	O
it	O
again	O
tomorrow	O
and	O
the	O
day	O
after	O
tomorrow	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
French	O
opposition	O
politicians	O
across	O
the	O
political	O
spectrum	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
leader	O
of	O
the	O
trade	O
union	O
CGT	O
,	O
called	O
for	O
a	O
parliamentary	O
inquiry	O
into	O
Macron	O
's	O
links	O
to	O
Uber	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
European	O
Trade	O
Union	O
Confederation	O
called	O
for	O
the	O
suspension	O
of	O
parliamentary	O
access	O
passes	O
for	O
Uber	B-Application
staff	O
,	O
claiming	O
that	O
Uber	B-Application
was	O
"	O
lobbying	O
hard	O
to	O
try	O
and	O
water	O
down	O
EU	O
legislation	O
on	O
the	O
rights	O
of	O
platform	O
workers	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
