Austin, Texas, voters in May 2016 chose to retain an ordinance that required fingerprinting of Uber’s drivers, among other regulations. Rather than comply, Uber and Lyft ceased operations in Austin, leaving a void filled by smaller competitors.
Board member joked about sexism
In a meeting about the prevalence of sexism within Uber, board member David Bonderman made a joke about gender stereotypes. He resigned the same day. Details.
Escort bar visit cover-up
Uber employees visited a South Korean escort bar.
When one member of the party later complained, Uber SVP of Business Emil Michael contacted Gabi Holzwarth (who had been dating Kalanick at the time) — asking that she tell anyone who asked that it was just karaoke. She refused, taking his request for a cover-up as impetus to discuss the incident publicly.
Mike Isaac’s Super Pumped (p. 305) reports that after Michael contacted Holzwarth, he alerted Uber SVP of Communications Rachel Whetstone who consulted with general counsel Salle Yoo and others — all hoping to conceal the situation so it wouldn’t leak.
Drivers failed more rigorous government background checks
When Massachusetts ran its own background checks of Uber drivers, it found more than 8,000 violations ranging from license suspensions to violent crimes and sexual offenses.
Undisclosed restrictions on credits to passengers
Uber promised credit on a passenger’s “next trip” but added undisclosed restrictions. Details.
Dishonored promotions
Uber promised passengers a “free ride” but provided only a $15 discount. Details.
Intentionally blocked aggregators and comparison shopping
Uber banned aggregators from comparing Uber’s prices with competitors, raising antitrust/competition concerns. Analysis by Ben Edelman: How Uber Uses API Restrictions to Block Price Comparison and Impede Competition. July 2017 news coverage of Uber’s threats against comparison shopping tool Ride Fair.
Vehicle inspections
Uber operated without vehicle inspections required by applicable local, state, and/or national governments. Details coming soon.
Driver verifications
Uber operated without driver verifications required by applicable local, state, and/or national governments. Details coming soon.