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Privacy Businesses Crime Government Security The Courts United States

Uber Is Under Investigation By Multiple States Over a 2016 Data Breach (recode.net) 25

Yesterday, it was reported that Uber concealed a massive cyberattack that exposed 57 million people's data. Recode reports that at least five states -- Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Connecticut -- would investigate the matter. From the report: Meanwhile, Uber must contend with the possible threat of a new probe at the Federal Trade Commission. The agency, which acts as the U.S. government's top privacy and security watchdog, penalized Uber for its privacy and security practices just this August. But it may not have known that Uber had suffered a major security breach in 2016, even as they investigated the company at the same time for other, unrelated security missteps. For now, the agency merely said it's "closely evaluating the serious issues raised." And some affected customers are similarly taking action. On Wednesday -- hours after the breach became public -- an Uber user filed a lawsuit accusing the company of negligence and deceptive business practices. The plaintiff, Alejandro Flores, is seeking to represent a class of affected riders and drivers alike.

For one thing, 48 states maintain some version of a law that requires companies that suffer a data breach to communicate what happened to consumers. In most cases, companies must disclose a security incident if hackers steal very sensitive customer data -- such as driver's license numbers, which happened with Uber in late 2016. To that end, the attorneys general in Illinois, Connecticut and New York have said they are probing the breach at Uber -- perhaps with an eye on whether the company skirted state laws. The top prosecutors in other major states, like Pennsylvania and Florida, did not immediately respond to emails on Wednesday seeking comment. California's AG declined to comment.

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Uber Is Under Investigation By Multiple States Over a 2016 Data Breach

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  • My refusal to support illegal Ponzi schemes continues to pay off.

    • by mjwx ( 966435 )

      My refusal to support illegal Ponzi schemes continues to pay off.

      As they're losing money on every fare, you're only delaying the inevitable by not using them.

  • 57 millions, that means every customer, I suppose.
  • by Anonymous Coward

    The so-called "gig economy" is nothing more than a way for rich corporate thugs to disenfranchise people and pay them fuck all.

    What's wrong with actual physical work. Here in south Texas, a man can make a killing with a couple of lawnmowers, a weed eater, and a blower. Case in point... I personally know two men who cut grass for a living. I've spoken with both at length and used one man's services. People in most of Texas cut grass for 9-10 months a year.

    - Average lawn cost: $50
    - Average lawns cut a day: 10

    • As you pointed out, opportunities certainly exist for anyone who wants to be their own boss and who puts forth the effort. I've known multiple people who did well in lawn care, mostly people with criminal records who had difficulty finding traditional jobs right away.

      There is also a place for gigs, but you have to be careful using them to replace a traditional job as a long-term thing. Lack of benefits like health insurance and double taxation mean any contractor work has to pay a lot more on paper in ord

      • As an example, a week ago I found out that I was going to miss a week of pay this month. That kinda throw a wrench in the budget a little bit. I also have the week off of work. So I wouldn't mind doing a gig this week. It would put my income back where it normally is so I don't have to juggle things.

        In my case, I have 20 years of experience in IT security and programming, so ideally I'd do a project that uses that experience, but that's not the point. In fact, a former coworker contacted me a while back a

  • No one?
    Is there anyone actually responsible for data hacks? (also, see Equifax)

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