Uber Boss ‘Regrets’ Idea to Smear Journalists
An executive from Uber has apologized after he threatened to dig up dirt on journalists who write unfavorable stories about the taxi-booking app and ride-sharing service.
Senior Vice President of Business Emil Michael made the remarks at a private dinner, whose guests included reporters, in New York City on Friday.
He proposed spending “a million dollars” to hire opposition researchers and journalists to help Uber fight back against negative press by looking into “your personal lives, your families.”
A BuzzFeed reporter, publisher Arianna Huffington, and actor Edward Norton were among those present, according to BuzzFeed, which broke the story.
The dinner was reportedly hosted by Ian Osborne, a former adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron and consultant to Uber.
When one of the guests suggested such tactics could backfire, Michael reportedly said: “Nobody would know it was us.”
He singled out the editor of tech blog PandoDaily, Sarah Lacy, who recently accused Uber of sexism over a deal the company offered in Lyon, France, pairing riders with “hot chick” drivers.
She has been a vocal critic of Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick, who was also present at the Manhattan dinner party.
Michael reportedly suggested that the company could reveal something about Lacy’s personal life.
She wrote in a blog post that the incident was a wake-up call that “companies shouldn’t be allowed to go to illegal lengths to defame and silence reporters.”
Michael contacted Lacy on Twitter, saying: “I would like to apologize to you directly. My comments were wrong and I deeply regret them.”
Kalanick criticized his colleague on Twitter, but Michael appears to have held onto his job.
The chief executive said in a series of tweets: “Emil’s comments at the recent dinner party were terrible and do not represent the company. His remarks showed a lack of leadership, a lack of humanity, and a departure from our values and ideals.”
It is not the first time Uber has been accused of dirty tricks.
Rival ride-sharing app Lyft said Uber ordered thousands of Lyft rides and then canceled them at the last minute to distract its drivers earlier this year.
The Verge, a tech news website, reported in August that Uber was sending recruiters on rides with competitors to poach their drivers with offers of iPhones.
Uber, which denies wrongdoing, has raised more than $1.5 billion in venture capital to support its rapid growth in recent years.
