You've got to admit Uber has brought the BigCorp stereotype of the 80s to life. I am amazed at the (US?)-culture that makes people enact so poisonous policies. In my corporation, literally the first line of our risk appetite says that we uphold the law and common norms and morality. Seems trivial, but still gives guidance to everyday actions. Could you explain it to your mom? Whole layers of management and lawyers flaunting common norms... I couldn't work there. How's VC-ing this different from bankrolling Al Capone?
How Uber Used Secret “Greyball” Tool to Deceive Authorities Worldwide
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Re: How Uber Used Secret “Greyball” Tool to Deceive Authorities Worldwide
#22The company I work for builds software platforms for cities, tldr: we have a pretty basic sub/pub idea for city data, and give them a little abstraction tool that allows folks who work in cities but don't know what an API is a way to create and publish one so they can then hold the vendor to account (From IoT to the Ubers and Lyfts of the world) -
I spent a lot of time in cities talking to them and the way uber has lobbied and created special interests is absolutely mind blowing. Sometimes a CIO in city using our tool will go to the Mayor and show them how uber, lyft, airbnb etc could integrate to give the city more insight, and without fail the Mayor is scared to push the companies.
Re: How Uber Used Secret “Greyball” Tool to Deceive Authorities Worldwide
#23I'm not excusing Uber at all because what they've done is extremely bad in multiple cases but find it strange all these hit pieces are coming out of the wood works. There is a large section of society that hates Uber and will spring at any chance to bring it down. Which is partially what I think happened with the whole #boycottUber thing and the new video of kalanick yelling at the driver. However, the sexism and dys…
Comments like this confuse me. Are you accusing the author of fabricating facts? Do you contest the facts or testimonies in the article? What is the justification for calling this a "hit piece"? Did you actually read it? Why is it surprising that a company under the spotlight... winds up with more journalistic investigations?
Do you not think the boycottUber thing was a little overblown? What about releasing the video of Kalanick being illegally recorded and framing it as him "exploding" when he was relatively calm? All I'm saying is that focuses on silly stuff like that undermines the larger disturbing cases of law breaking and sexism.
Re: How Uber Used Secret “Greyball” Tool to Deceive Authorities Worldwide
#24How diabolical! In a world where privacy has been traded away for convenience, it's poetic justice where a startup uses data mining techniques to subvert the government. This is the same government that would have no issues to use the same techniques to spy on its own people for its own motives. I'm neither on Uber nor the government's side in this case, just simply making an observation. The lack of data privacy see…
My perspective is the opposite. In a world where large multinationals have the power to evade the law in a deliberate and systematic way like this, it's easy for governments to claim they need the same kind of power. Things like this are exactly what bureaucrats point to when they make their arguments for a surveillance state.
I don't like the US government much, but I like it a lot better than the average multinational. When it comes down to it, we don't have more than our choice of devils.
Re: How Uber Used Secret “Greyball” Tool to Deceive Authorities Worldwide
#25That's actually pretty impressive. I mean, it morally questionable maybe. Is there a law that says Uber is required to send a cab to city officials? The official gave Uber access to his personal details. If Uber doesn't want to fulfill the request it seems reasonable that ultimately it's Uber's decision. I'm not sure what to think about this one.
Re: How Uber Used Secret “Greyball” Tool to Deceive Authorities Worldwide
#26I wonder if this is an airing of dirty laundry ahead of Holder's upcoming review...
Re: How Uber Used Secret “Greyball” Tool to Deceive Authorities Worldwide
#27I'm not excusing Uber at all because what they've done is extremely bad in multiple cases but find it strange all these hit pieces are coming out of the wood works. There is a large section of society that hates Uber and will spring at any chance to bring it down. Which is partially what I think happened with the whole #boycottUber thing and the new video of kalanick yelling at the driver. However, the sexism and dys…
I don't think it is that strange, you often see this type of snowball effect of leaks and insider info after an organization or person hits a certain tipping point of negative press. See also the many reports of sexual abuse that came out around Trump pre-election when things like the access hollywood video came out.
Re: How Uber Used Secret “Greyball” Tool to Deceive Authorities Worldwide
#28"we need to permanently track your location on the app to better serve you. unless you are a possible government official, in which case we will track your location to block you from the service"
yes definitely not scary at all that they're tracking open/close of the app by location...
Re: How Uber Used Secret “Greyball” Tool to Deceive Authorities Worldwide
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
Comments like this confuse me. Are you accusing the author of fabricating facts? Do you contest the facts or testimonies in the article? What is the justification for calling this a "hit piece"? Did you actually read it? Why is it surprising that a company under the spotlight... winds up with more journalistic investigations?
Do you not think the boycottUber thing was a little overblown? What about releasing the video of Kalanick being illegally recorded and framing it as him "exploding" when he was relatively calm? All I'm saying is that focuses on silly stuff like that undermines the larger disturbing cases of law breaking and sexism.
So you shirk all of my questions and then question if boycotting a company for repeated, serious, abuse of their employees was overblown?
I have a feeling we're not going to see eye to eye on this so I will bow out.
Re: How Uber Used Secret “Greyball” Tool to Deceive Authorities Worldwide
#30I don't see why this is so bad. They're a private business, and they're allowed to do business with whom they will. It doesn't really change anything w.r.t the fact that they're skirting regulation, especially if the given origin story is true. Pretty tame compared to the other stuff we've been seeing from Uber, lately.