About
Uber is mobile application which allows users to request rides from car drivers in major cities across the globe. The service has generated protests from taxi companies worldwide, who argue that Uber uses unfair business practices and illegal operations. In November 2014, Uber executive Emil Michael was criticized for statements made at a dinner, where he suggested the company hire a team of investigators to target journalist Sarah Lacy.
History
In 2009, entrepreneurs Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick founded the “UberCab” car service in San Francisco, California. In 2010, the company launched a mobile application for iOS and Android devices, which initially only allowed users to hail car drivers in the San Francisco area. In 2011, the venture capital firm Benchmark led a Series A funding round for Uber, raising $11.5 million. That year, Goldman Sachs, Menlo Ventures and Bezos Expeditions invested $32 million in the company. In December, Uber launched its service in Paris, France. In 2012, Uber became available in Toronto, Vancouver, London and Sydney. As of November 2014, Uber is available in 49 countries and more than 200 cities around the world.
Controversies
European Protests
In June 2014, taxi drivers in several European cities blocked roads to protest Uber competition, complaining that the service bypasses the regulations and fees placed on traditional taxi services.
Competitor Sabotage
On January 24th, 2014, Tech Crunch[9] and Valleywag[10] reported they had obtained leaked documents revealing that New York City Uber employees spammed fake orders to the competing car service Gett. That day, Uber[11] issued an apology on their website for the New York team’s “aggressive” sales tactics.
Emil Michael’s Journalist Intimidation Statements
On November 17th, 2014, BuzzFeed[2] published an article by staff writer Ben Smith titled “Uber Executive Suggests Digging Up Dirt on Journalists,” which revealed that Uber Senior Vice President Emil Michael suggested his company spend $1 million to hire a team of investigators to dig up dirt on journalists, specifically mentioning Panda Daily writer Sarah Lacy. The story was subsequently reported by several news sites, including The New York Times,[3]USA Today,[4] Mashable,[5]CNBC[6] and Business Insider.[7] On November 19th, actor and Uber investor Ashton Kutcher posted a series of tweets defending Michael’s statements and questioned “What is so wrong about digging up dirt on a shady journalist?” (shown below).
Also on November 19th, tech blogger Robert Scoble posted a Facebook[8] status update calling for Uber CEO Travis Kalanick to resign for the company to recover from the controversy.
Highlights
My Uber is Down There
On October 30th, 2014, YouTuber impulsinator uploaded a video titled “Clearing the streets,” in which a woman complains to a line of riot police that her “Uber is down there” during riots in San Francisco following the 2014 Giants’ World Series victory.
Search Interest
External References
[2]BuzzFeed – Uber Executive Suggests Digging Up Dirt On Journalists
[3]New York Times – Uber a Start-Up Going So Fast It Could Miss a Turn
[4]USA Today – Ubers Disgraceful Plot
[6]CNBC– Uber will do anything to intimate journalists#.
[7]Business Insider – No One With a Stake in this company
[8]Facebook – Robert Scoble
[9]Tech Crunch – Black Car Competitor Accuses Uber Of DDoS
[10]Valley Wag – Ubers Dirty Trick Campaign