Crisis of confidence

Re: Uber’s brand ambassador prepared to take ‘the hits’ — June 1

Communitech chose to put Uber’s chief brand officer Bozoma Saint John on stage at a conference it tagged “Tech for Good.” I have nothing against Saint John herself, but Uber? What is Communitech thinking?

That would be the Uber who paid hackers to cover up a data breach affecting 57 million riders, and who failed to report the breach for a year. Who also failed to report sex attacks by its drivers to London police, and who paid a $20-million fine for exaggerating how much its drivers make.

Who lost not only its CEO but much of its senior management following overwhelming evidence of endemic sexism inside the company. Who, until May 2018, required sexual assault victims to accept arbitration and made them sign nondisclosure agreements to keep quiet about their experiences.

Whose executives accessed private profiles of reporters, whose employees regularly spied on politicians, exes and celebrities, who used its software to track drivers for its competitor Lyft in a project called “Hell,” and who booked thousands of fake rides from Lyft to interfere with that service.

I could go on.

The crisis of confidence in the technology industry affects all of us who work in it, as I have done for the last 25 years.

Communitech has spoken in favour of Uber in the past but has never once, to my knowledge, criticized the company in public.

It needs be a lot bolder about addressing the problems of our industry if it wants to embody “Tech for Good.”

Tom Slee

Waterloo