Huge SCANDAL: Thousands of secret documents leaked! Uber was secretly helped by leading politicians – Topky.sk

And also as the former head of Uber, he personally ordered the use of a system known as a “kill switch” to prevent police officers from accessing computers during a raid, reports the BBC news television on its website. Uber defends itself, today we are a different company Uber states that its past behavior was not in line with its current values ​​and that today it is a different company. The files labeled Uber Files have more than 124,000 records, including 83,000 emails and 1,000 other files involving conversations. They date from 2013 to 2017. They were obtained by the British newspaper The Guardian and were also provided to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and several media organizations, including BBC Panorama. Photo gallery (5) Travis Kalanick
Source: profimedia.sk The files reveal how groups focused on lobbying and promotion for 90 million dollars a year recruited friendly politicians to help them in the campaign to change the provision of taxi services in Europe. While French taxi drivers have sometimes staged violent protests against Uber in the streets, current French President Macron has sparred with controversial Uber boss Travis Kalanick and told him he would reform laws in favor of Uber. Uber’s unscrupulous business methods were well known. But for the first time, the documents provide a unique inside view of how far the company was able to go in achieving its goals. Former EU Commissioner for Digital Affairs Neelie Kroes, one of the most senior officials in Brussels, was in talks to join Uber before the end of her term, according to documents. And then she secretly lobbied for the company, apparently violating EU ethical rules. A fast-growing and controversial company At this time, Uber was not only one of the fastest-growing companies in the world, but also one of the most controversial. It was accompanied by lawsuits, accusations of sexual harassment and scandals related to data leaks. Eventually, shareholders had enough and Kalanick was forced out in 2017. Uber says that his successor, Dara Khosrowshahi, has been tasked with transforming every aspect of the company’s operations, and has put in place the strict control mechanisms and compliance necessary for a public company to operate. Photo gallery (5) Source: TASR/AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File Paris was the first place in Europe where Uber started to offer its services, and there it encountered stiff resistance from taxi drivers. This culminated in violent protests in the streets. In August 2014, Macron was appointed economy minister and saw Uber as a source of growth, much-needed new jobs, and wanted to help him. In October of the same year, he met with Kalanick and other managers. That was the beginning of his long tenure in the role of advocate for the interests of the controversial company in the government. Uber lobbyist Mark MacGann described the meeting as spectacular. “I have never experienced anything like this,” according to the files. Macron and Kalanick soon hit it off and met at least four times. Photo gallery (5) Source: TASR/AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti In 2014, French taxi drivers were particularly enraged by the launch of the UberPop service, which made it possible to offer rides to unlicensed drivers at much lower prices. The courts and parliament banned it, but Uber continued to operate it because it defied the law. Macron agreed to work with the company to overhaul the laws, and in 2015 he signed a decree that eased licensing requirements for Uber drivers. Macron’s spokesman said that because of his position it was natural that he had to interact with many companies involved in the significant changes that have appeared in these years in the service sector. Deeper ties to Kroes The documents also reveal that Uber’s ties to Kroes began much earlier and were deeper than previously reported. By doing so, Kroes apparently violated the rules governing the conduct of commissioners. Kroes oversaw digital policy and competition, cracked down on big tech companies and played a key role in levying hefty fines on US firms Microsoft and Intel. In her home country of the Netherlands, UberPop has caused legal and political problems. In October 2014, Uber drivers were arrested, and in December a court in The Hague banned the service and threatened a fine of up to 100,000 euros. In March, Dutch police raided Uber’s Amsterdam office. According to the e-mails, Kroes called ministers and other members of the government at the time of the raid to convince them to back down from their plans. In an internal e-mail to employees, it is then recommended not to talk about her informal relationship. Photo gallery (5) Neelie Kroesová
Source: TASR/Michal Svítok According to EU rules, if former commissioners want to start a new job earlier than 18 months after finishing their work in the European Commission (EC), the commission must approve their employment. Kroes has therefore written to the EC’s ethics committee, asking for permission to join Uber’s advisory board before her grace period expires. She was denied this, but according to the documents, she still helped the company informally. Kroes denies that she held any formal or informal role at Uber before May 2016, when her protection period expired. She said that as a commissioner, she communicated with many technology companies and followed what she believed was to benefit the public interest. They used the kill switch system several times. If the police came, Uber had a second line of defense – a system called a kill switch, which made it impossible for police authorities to access the company’s computers. That kept investigators from accessing sensitive data, such as driver lists, which the company says would have hurt its growth. The files show that Kalanick himself activated the system at least once, in Amsterdam. The system was also used in Canada, Belgium, Romania and Hungary and at least three times in France. Uber claims that it no longer uses this system since the new boss took over in 2017. Kalanick’s spokesman said he has never approved any actions or programs that would obstruct the administration of justice in any country. Huge SCANDAL: Thousands of secret documents leaked! Uber was secretly aided by leading politicians