UBER IS POTENTIALLY FACING A CRIMINAL PROBE OVER A
SOFTWARE THAT IT ALLEGEDLY USED TO EVADE AUTHORITIES.
SO THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS BECOME A CRIMINAL TECHNICIAN
INTO UBER TECHNOLOGY SEEMS USE OF THE SOFTWARE TOOL TO
HELP ITS DRIVERS OF A LOCAL TRANSPORTATION REGULATORS.
UBER HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE SOFTWARE KNOWN AS GRAVOL
HELP TO IDENTIFY AND CIRCUMVENT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO
WERE TRYING TO CLIMB DOWN ON UBER IN AREAS WHERE IT
SERVICE HAD NOT YET BEEN APPROVED.
UBER HAS ACTUALLY ADMITTED TO A LOT OF THIS.
IN A LETTER TO PORTLAND AUTHORITIES THEY SAID THAT
THEY DID USE THIS GREAT BALL TECHNOLOGY BUT THEY USED IT
EXCEEDINGLY SPARINGLY AND ONLY BEFORE UBER, THE UBER APP
WAS ALLOWED TO BE USED IN THE PORTLAND AREA AROUND 2015.
THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL IN ITS EARLY STAGES BUT
REUTERS REPORTS THAT OPERA RECEIVED A SUBPOENA FROM A
NORTHERN COMPANY GRAND JURY SEEKING DON OF DOCUMENTS
CONCERNING HOW THE SOFTWARE TOOLS FUNCTION AND WHERE IT
WAS DEPLOYED, ONE PERSON FAMILIAR WITH THE REQUEST SAID.
THAT INDICATES A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY.
THE SECOND SOURCE CONFIRMED THAT WAS THE CASE.
IN A BLOG POST, UBER SAID THAT THEY USED THIS TECHNOLOGY
ACTUALLY TO PREVENT FRAUD AND PROTECT THEIR DRIVERS FROM
HARM IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE APP.
THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, HOWEVER THE SYSTEM MIGHT
HAVE GONE FURTHER THAN SUGGESTED BY UBER'S TERMS OF SERVICE
WRAP USERS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN MIND CREDIT CARD INFORMATION TO SEE IF THE
OWNER WAS AFFILIATED WITH THE CREDIT UNION USED BY POLICE
AND CHECK SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES TO ASSESS THE LIKELIHOOD
THAT THE PERSON WAS IN LAW-ENFORCEMENT.
UBER SAID IT USED THE GRAYBAR TECHNOLOGY IN DECEMBER 2014
WHILE WAS OPERATING WITHOUT APPROVAL, BECAUSE IT WAS
DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT IT'S DRIVER PARTNERS WOULD BE
PENALIZED FINANCIALLY OR OTHERWISE FOR THEIR DRIVING.
SO HERE'S WHAT I'M HEARING.
SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING WHAT'S THE VIDEO, THEY WERE JUST TRYING
TO GROW THEIR BUSINESS IN CITIES WHERE IT WAS NOT YET APPROVED.
THERE'S NO HARM THERE.
THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING, IT WAS A BUSINESS DECISION AND
OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING THIS IS JUST A LIKELY INDICATOR
SYMPTOM OF A COMPANY THAT MANY NOW FEEL ENGAGES IN SHADY
BUSINESS PRACTICES THAT WHEN YOU GUYS ALL ON THAT?
TO BUY ANY OF UBER SAYING?
NO.
KNOW.
BILLY GETS CLEAR AS DAY THAT THEY ARE LYING.
THEY WANTED TO EVADE THE LAWS, AND THE FACT THAT CERTAIN
MUNICIPALITIES DIDN'T WANT THEM.
YOU HAVE TO RESPECT THOSE LAWS.
THE PART OF IT THAT DRIVES ME NUTS IS THIS BRAZEN ATTEMPT
TO EVADE THOSE LAWS AND THEN THIS HALFHEARTED,
UNCONVINCING EXCUSE THAT THEY GIVE IN RESPONSE TO IT.
I'M GLAD THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS INVOLVED.
THEY PUSH AND THEY PUSH AND THEY PUSH IN SAN FRANCISCO THEY
PUSHED IN OTHER PLACES AND THEY CONTINUALLY DO AND EVENTUALLY,
THEY ARE GOING TO GET A SERIOUS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
I DON'T KNOW THIS IS IT, I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO BE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO
CRACK DOWN ON UBER NOR DO I PARTICULARLY WANT UBER
CRACKDOWN ON EXCEPT WHERE THEY SORT OF DELIBERATELY BREAK
THE LAW AND THEN JUST IRRITATE US BY NOT ADMITTING IT.
THERE'S A WAY OF COURSE.
BY THE WAY, THEY ARE NOW APPROVED IN PORTLAND, RIGHT?
IS A WAY TO DO IT.
YOU LOBBIED THAT YOU KEEP AT THE CITY COUNCIL AND SO YOU GET THE
APPROVAL THAT YOU ARE SEEKING AN INTEL THEN YOU DON'T DO IT.
WHAT IS INCREDIBLY ALARMING AND I'M LATE TO THIS GAME IS THE
DEBT OF HOW MANY APPS ARE THERE THAT LET SOMEONE ELSE KNOW ABOUT
ME THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO TELL THE CREDIT CARD IS FROM A
CREDIT UNION USED BY COPS WHEN I CAN PICK THAT PERSON UP.
THAT IS THE ALARMING PART OF THIS.
PORTLAND TAKING A STAND BECAUSE OF THE SUPER LIBERAL CITY
AND NOT WANTING UBER AND EVENTUALLY COURSE THEY LET
IT AND BECAUSE GUESS WHAT, LIBERALS TO GET PLACES
CHEAPER TO INCLUDE YOUR PLACES.
EVENTUALLY THEY APPROVE IT BECAUSE IT IS A GREAT
SERVICE, THAT IS WHY IT IS VALUED NOW AT $60 BILLION.
IT'S STAGGERING.
I GET ALL OF THAT.
WHAT IS TERRIBLY ALARMING IS HOW SOPHISTICATED THIS IS.
THESE GUYS ARE SO GOOD.
AND HOW FAR THEY WENT TO NOT GET CAUGHT.
THEY'RE STILL COVERING THEIR TRACKS.
THIS IS JUST A NUMBER OF MANY UBER CONTROVERSIES THAT WE
EVER PUT ON HERE I KNOW WITHIN THE PAST MONTH THAT OF SORT
OF CAUSE THEIR CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO ADMIT THAT HE SAID HE
NEEDED LEADERSHIP HELP.
BECAUSE THIS IS COMING FROM THE TOP DOWN.
YOU ALSO NEED LEGAL HELP.
BUT ALSO LOOK AT IT.
MANY CASES, I DON'T WANT TO OVERSIMPLIFY THINGS BUT
THEY ARE EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE.
PORTLAND SAYS NO THEY ARE LIKE WAS GOING TO PORTLAND ANYWAY.
WE WILL GIVE THEM A DIFFERENT APP IF IT SHOWS UP, IF WE
THINK THEY ARE AFFILIATED WITH LAW-ENFORCEMENT OR THE
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OR ANYTHING IN THIS WAY UNLESS
IS DUE ANYWAY AND THEY KEEP PUSHING AND THEY KEEP PUSHING.
THEY PUSHED EVERY WORD THAT THEY PUSHED WILDLY IN EUROPE,
AND PLACES THIS THAT OUT.
INDIA TO I BELIEVE.
TO TALK MORE ABOUT INDIA.
AND LOOK WHAT IS HAPPENED.
IT WORKS.
THEY FOUGHT THE LAW INTO UBER ONE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
THEY ARE VALUED AT $60 BILLION.
IT IS A SIGN THAT WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE TRUMP DECLARES
VICTORY HE HOLDS A BIG PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER THE HOUSE
VOTES EVEN OF THE CITY IS NOT LIKELY TO APPROVE AND HIS
LIKE WHEN LOOK, I WENT.
WHO ALL UBER CARED ABOUT WAS WINNING AND THE FACT IS, IF
THAT'S ALL YOU CARE ABOUT AND YOU ARE HYPER- AGGRESSIVE,
SOMETIMES IT REALLY PAYS OFF AND THERE'S A DISTRESSING
REALITY TO THAT.