Live data from Hacker News

Uber faces criminal probe over software used to evade authorities

reuters.com

61–70 of 596 posts

Re: Uber faces criminal probe over software used to evade authorities

#61
post #45

What exactly part of this is criminal? I mean, isn't any business free to discriminate and refuse service to anyone they like (for example government employees, hackers, or Democrats), as long as they are not in one of several protected categories like sex/race/national origin/etc.? Or is this violating consumer privacy laws when CC info is used this way?

I'm not an legal expert, but knowingly obstructing investigations by law enforcement seems like the sort of thing that'd get you in trouble.

Re: Uber faces criminal probe over software used to evade authorities

#62

I'm not a fan of Uber, but it seems like it's their right to decide who is allowed to use their service. (Baring protected classes, of course.) If a regulator started creating fake user accounts in order to scrape Uber's data, I don't see why Uber can't put a stop to that. And if a legislator is a vocal critic of Uber, I don't see why Uber should be forced to allow them to use their service.

That's not what happened here at all. Uber deliberately tried to identify which users were law officers, and hide lawbreaking on the part of their drivers from them, in order to enable uber to make money.

Yeah, IANAL but it sounds like the definition of obstruction of justice

Re: Uber faces criminal probe over software used to evade authorities

#63
post #45

What exactly part of this is criminal? I mean, isn't any business free to discriminate and refuse service to anyone they like (for example government employees, hackers, or Democrats), as long as they are not in one of several protected categories like sex/race/national origin/etc.? Or is this violating consumer privacy laws when CC info is used this way?

I think if greyball popped a "sorry, access denied" message there wouldn't be much controversy.

It actively deceived targeted people though. Circling cars that never arrive, etc. Which could be viewed as obstruction.

Re: Uber faces criminal probe over software used to evade authorities

#65
post #45

What exactly part of this is criminal? I mean, isn't any business free to discriminate and refuse service to anyone they like (for example government employees, hackers, or Democrats), as long as they are not in one of several protected categories like sex/race/national origin/etc.? Or is this violating consumer privacy laws when CC info is used this way?

Not letting the health inspector in your restaurant is not exercising your right to refuse service.

Re: Uber faces criminal probe over software used to evade authorities

#66

I'm not a fan of Uber, but it seems like it's their right to decide who is allowed to use their service. (Baring protected classes, of course.) If a regulator started creating fake user accounts in order to scrape Uber's data, I don't see why Uber can't put a stop to that. And if a legislator is a vocal critic of Uber, I don't see why Uber should be forced to allow them to use their service.

I'm not a fan of Uber, but it seems like it's their right to decide who is allowed to use their service.

It may "seem so" to you. But the law "seems to" say otherwise.

Which is precisely the point.

Re: Uber faces criminal probe over software used to evade authorities

#67

I'm not a fan of Uber, but it seems like it's their right to decide who is allowed to use their service. (Baring protected classes, of course.) If a regulator started creating fake user accounts in order to scrape Uber's data, I don't see why Uber can't put a stop to that. And if a legislator is a vocal critic of Uber, I don't see why Uber should be forced to allow them to use their service.

That isn't really what happened here. Uber didn't block regulators from using their app, they populated the app with fake data to deceive them.

Re: Uber faces criminal probe over software used to evade authorities

#68

What's really strange is that I bet a good percente of the people reading this comment will know exactly what I mean when I refer to a: "Startup that employs mafia tactics and forces businesses to pay a protection fee, or actively fucks them up and attempts to hurt them." Why aren't the authorities going over the ACTUAL, honest-to-god mafia startup? Sorry, I realize it's off topic here, but my first thought when I re…

If Yelp is the company you're referring to, can you provide links or go into more detail?

Re: Uber faces criminal probe over software used to evade authorities

#69

I'm not a fan of Uber, but it seems like it's their right to decide who is allowed to use their service. (Baring protected classes, of course.) If a regulator started creating fake user accounts in order to scrape Uber's data, I don't see why Uber can't put a stop to that. And if a legislator is a vocal critic of Uber, I don't see why Uber should be forced to allow them to use their service.

> I'm not a fan of Uber, but it seems like it's their right to decide who is allowed to use their service. It's not their right to operate where they are prohibited, and it's also not their right to feed people believed to be enforcing that prohibition false information to prevent themselves from being busted for violating that prohibition.

Maybe also a conspiracy charge as Uber was actively/knowingly helping drivers (who are not technically Uber employees, right?) break laws in cities by providing them a means to evade authorities?

Re: Uber faces criminal probe over software used to evade authorities

#70
post #56

I'm not a fan of Uber, but it seems like it's their right to decide who is allowed to use their service. (Baring protected classes, of course.) If a regulator started creating fake user accounts in order to scrape Uber's data, I don't see why Uber can't put a stop to that. And if a legislator is a vocal critic of Uber, I don't see why Uber should be forced to allow them to use their service.

Nobody was forcing Uber to do anything. They were trying to deny agents of public regulatory bodies the ability to assess them. That isn't any kind of 'right'.

"right" is a moral judgement. It depends on whether you see this as civil disobedience. It may be "right" and also illegal at the same time.
Post reply on HN