Uber Survived The Spying Scandal. But They Still Fear For Their Career
Business Standard|November 29, 2021
The men who gathered intelligence for Uber were supposed to be ghosts.
Kate Conger
Uber Survived The Spying Scandal. But They Still Fear For Their Career

For years, they were un-Googleable sentries, quietly informing executives about the actions of competitors, opponents, and disgruntled employees. But the secrecy of the tight-knit team ended abruptly in 2017 when one of its members turned on the others, accusing them of stealing trade secrets, wiretapping, and destroying evidence.

They floated the law while carrying out Uber's dirtiest missions, their former co-worker, Richard Jacobs, claimed in an April 2017 email sent to top Uber executives. His lawyer followed up with a letter that said the team went so far as to hack foreign governments and wiretap Uber's own employees.

But Jacobs's most damning allegations of illegal activity were not true. In June, nearly four years after his claims drew wide attention, he retracted them. In a letter to his former coworkers that he wrote as part of a legal settlement, Jacobs explained that he had never intended to suggest that they broke the law.

This story is from the November 29, 2021 edition of Business Standard.

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This story is from the November 29, 2021 edition of Business Standard.

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