Uber used an elaborate secret program to hide from government regulators
Uber has a secret, worldwide program called “Greyball” to hide from government employees looking to catch Uber cars operating in violation of local regulations, reports The New York Times.
The Greyball program, which was reportedly approved by Uber’s legal team, remains in use today and is part of a global operation to stop people from, in Uber’s eyes, using its service improperly. That operation is called “violation of terms of service” or VTOS, which addresses everything from competitors looking to disrupt Uber’s operations to law enforcement looking to catch violators of government taxi regulations.
According to the Times, when Uber began operations in a new city where operations weren’t clearly legal, the company would appoint a...