Uber riders tested by scandals
Some switching to Lyft as others remain loyal to brand
DETROIT — Uber has managed to hold the title of world’s largest ride-hailing service despite its seemingly endless string of scandals.
Its latest misbehavior involving a data breach cover-up revealed this week could be the impetus for people to ride elsewhere — or keep looking the other way.
Hackers were able to steal data for 57 million riders and drivers, and Uber concealed it for a year after paying $100,000 in ransom for the stolen information to be destroyed.
Riders and business experts say that while Uber’s problems such as workplace sexual harassment, drivers with criminal records and other past infractions are serious, stolen data hits people directly and could make them mad enough to delete the app. Then again, riders have fled from the service before, but enough have stayed because of the Uber’s convenience so the latest scandalof-the-week may not make much of a difference. The brand is so wellknown for quickly responding to ride requests that it’s often used as a verb for such trips, no matter which service is summoned.
Michael Pachter, a technology analyst based in Los Angeles, said he uses Uber five to 10 times a month.
“I don’t blame the drivers for the company transgressions, and view Uber as the glue that facilitates drivers willing to drive me around,” he said.
But for Vermont resident Jay Furr, the breach was the “final straw.” He had stuck with Uber despite recent problems because of the service. But now he’ll use Lyft, Uber’s main competitor, when he goes to the airport for frequent business trips.
“Why reward crooked behavior?” he asked. “The only way they will learn is if they lose business.”
For much of the past year, Uber has been mired in well-publicized problems. A female former engineer blogged that her boss had propositioned her for sex, exposing widespread sexual harassment. A federal judge urged prosecutors to investigate allegations that Uber stole technology from Waymo, Google’s autonomous vehicle unit. The Justice Department is investigating whether Uber used a bogus app to deceive inspectors in several cities, and in London, authorities decided not to renew Uber’s operating license in part for failing to report crimes.