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Uber deploys secret weapon against undercover regulators - azfamily.com 3TV
How Uber used a secret tool called "Greyball" to fool authorities in cities where it operated illegally. And in Florida, Hillsborough regulators coordinated with taxi and limousine companies on an undercover operation that lured out Uber drivers so they could be assessed $700 fines. Uber has been wielding a secret weapon to thwart authorities who have been trying to curtail or shut down its ride-hailing service in cities around the world. Uber acknowledged it has used Greyball to counter regulators working with the company's opponents to entrap its drivers. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Uber has been wielding a secret weapon to thwart authorities who have been trying to curtail or shut down its ride-hailing service in cities around the world.
Uber deploys secret weapon against undercover regulators
In Las Vegas, local taxi regulators confronted an Uber driver while wearing ski masks . And in Florida, Hillsborough regulators coordinated with taxi and limousine companies on an undercover operation that lured out Uber drivers so they could be assessed $700 fines. SAN FRANCISCO: Uber has been wielding a secret weapon to thwart authorities who have been trying to curtail or shut down its ride-hailing service in cities around the world.The program included a feature nicknamed " Greyball " internally that identified regulators who were posing as riders while trying to collect evidence that Uber's service was breaking local laws governing taxis.To stymie those efforts, Uber served up a fake version of its app to make it appear the undercover regulators were summoning a car, only to have the ride canceled. In doing so, Uber has built a rapidly growing company valued at more than $60 billion by its investors that is frequently accused of bending the rules.Among other things, the company has faced lawsuits for classifying its drivers as independent contractors to save money and allegedly stealing the technology for a fleet of autonomous cars that it is currently testing. The San Francisco company mined the data that it collects through its real app to pinpoint the undercover agents.The New York Times revealed Greyball's existence in a story published Friday based on information provided by four current and former Uber employees who were not named.Uber acknowledged it has used Greyball to counter regulators working with the company's opponents to entrap its drivers.Greyball is part of a broader program called VTOS, shorthand for "violations of terms of service," that Uber says it developed to protect its service.
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