Uber’s actions upset Apple CEO
Cook threatens to kick company out of powerful app store
Uber placed a digital wall around Apple’s headquarters in an effort to hide the fact it was breaking Apple rules by marking iPhones with persistent digital ID tags that would remain after users had deleted the Uber app and wiped the phone, The New York Times reported Sunday.
The actions — first, digital fingerprinting users’ devices and then, geofencing Apple’s headquarters to veil the company’s actions — earned Uber CEO Travis Kalanick an in-person rebuke from Apple CEO Tim Cook, who threatened to kick Uber out of the powerful Apple App store.
Asked for comment, Uber said that it does not track individual users or their location if they have deleted the Uber app. It said that the persistent ID tags protected against driver fraud and allowed it to keep fraudsters from loading the Uber app onto a stolen phone, putting in a stolen credit card, taking an expensive ride and then wiping the phone again and again.
The company did not respond to the Times’ allegation that it has attempted to hide its use from Apple.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday evening.
The allegation is one of several in a piece that outlines Uber CEO Travis Kalanick’s long history of flouting rules and corporate norms — a legacy that helped it overcome myriad opposition from cities and taxi unions.
The Apple issue came about in 2014 and early 2015. According to the paper, Uber was offering bonuses to drivers if they did more rides. In China and elsewhere, drivers would use stolen iPhones that had had their information digitally wiped to create dozens of fake email addresses for false, new riders, who would request rides. The drivers accepted, increasing their ride count.