Federal Regulators Are Investigating Uber Over Privacy Violations

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Recode: One of the U.S. government's most powerful consumer protection watchdogs appears to be quietly probing Uber and the company's privacy practices. The inquiry is under way at the Federal Trade Commission, according to four sources familiar with the matter, where the agency's investigative staff appears to have focused its attention on some of the data-handling mishaps that have plagued the company in recent years -- perhaps including employees' misuse of "god view," a tool that had previously allowed some at Uber to spy on the whereabouts of politicians, celebrities and others using the ride-hailing app. The sources cautioned to Recode that FTC staff regularly question companies on consumer-protection matters, like privacy -- and often, the agency chooses not to pursue any penalties while closing its investigations as quietly as it began them. Still, the scrutiny could easily blossom into a full-fledged legal complaint against Uber -- a reality the company knows well.

from yahoo to uber

[nnet]

Marissa hired already?

Re:WHO is after Uber?

[cunina]

Uber has consistently sent the message that the government doesn't matter and the law doesn't apply to them. Governments tend to react very badly to that message. The only thing Uber could have done worse (in the eyes of the feds) is to not pay their taxes.

Re:

[rtb61]

Anything Uber has done pales into insignificance compared to M$ and Windows anal probe 10 has done, simply no comparison and yet, nothing done about M$ why, of course because they are playing nice 'er' evil with the NSA/CIA homeland abortion.

So...

[Snotnose]

Can we get the FTC to investigate the NSA?

Re:

[Shotgun]

Yes. It will take 18 months and then they will find no violations.