Some internal Uber documents have been leaked to The Guardian and shared with the International Consortium of Investigate Journalists (ICIJ) and other news outlets. It is now labeled the Uber Files, with over 124,000 documents between 2013 and 2017. 

The leaked documents outline the ride-sharing company's strategies for global expansion, but they involved illegal ways to achieve their desired results. 

The leak showed how the company tried to shore up support by courting higher-ups, such as prime ministers, billionaires, presidents, oligarchs, and media barons. Moreover, the documents include emails, WhatsApp, and iMessages between Silicon Valley's most senior executives. 

An article from The Washington Post reveals an alleged use of a kill switch that will shut off the company's computer systems and prevent authorities from investigating their business practices as it disrupted the global taxi industry. There is another one that details how Uber leveraged violent attacks on drivers. 

Another report from BBC shows that Emmanual Macron, the French president told the CEO of Uber that he could reform laws in favor of them. Neelie Kroes, ex-EU commissioner, was also negotiating with Uber to join its advisory board before she left her European post. 

Also Read: Uber to Allow Users to See the Ratings the Drivers Gave Them

The Pirates

As Uber launched its services globally, the executives of the company knew that they were illegal.

Even the executives call themselves "pirates." According to a report by Mashable, an Uber senior executive wrote in an email: "We are not legal in many countries, we should avoid making antagonistic statements."

The reason behind this is that they had forms of active non-compliance with regulations in many countries. Also, in a comment about their strategies used to avoid regulations and enforcement, another executive wrote, "We have officially become pirates." 

Uber Responds

The Uber files were a huge scandal, and the company was quick to respond to this. In a post on their website, they have stated that they, "moved from an era of confrontation to one of collaboration." This was in light of the resignation of Uber founder Travis Kalanick in 2017, in which Dara Khosroshahi took over his position.

Devon Spurgeon, a spokesperson for Kalanick, denied these issues and said that Kalanick never authorized or directed illegal conduct for Uber's expansion efforts in Russia. Spurgeon also said that the company had very limited involvement in the expansion plans. 

The company was a fast-moving start-up. In fact, in the first five years, the ride-sharing company was active in 31 countries, and it was only after a few years that it revolutionized the ride-hailing experience. 

Not everything in the document leak has been published, which means that we haven't uncovered the full story yet. There might be more to come, so don't be surprised when more about Uber's horrid past come to the surface. 

Related Article: Uber Cuts Down Spending on Incentives, Treats New Hiring a "Privilege"

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Written by April Fowell