Uber under investigation by FBI for tracking Lyft drivers
Remember the “Hell” software Uber had once created? For those who don’t. Uber had allegedly been using this app to track drivers on the competing Lyft platform between 2014 and 2016. The company used the information received to bring these drivers over to Uber, and the whole matter eventually came into the public eye.
Now, a new report by The Wall Street Journal says that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has opened an investigation into Uber for using this software. The case is apparently been taken care of by the FBI’s New York office, and the US attorney’s office in Manhattan is also involved. The attorney’s office has been investigating Uber since 2016.
Further, a spokesperson from Uber confirmed to The Verge that an investigation is indeed on, and that the ride hailing company is “cooperating with the investigation”. The Hell app was very similar to Uber’s “God view” (also known as Heaven View), that was used by employees to track riders and drivers.
The ailing ride hailing company has been battling on multiple fronts. While Uber only recently found a replacement for ex-CEO Travis Kalanick, new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi may already have a lot on its plate. Of course, there’s also an ongoing suit with Google, over self-driving technologies that were allegedly stolen by Uber.