Uber promises not to trick regulators with ‘Greyball’

San Francisco, March 9: Uber on Wednesday promised not to use a recently uncovered ‘Greyball’ software program to trick regulators trying to catch drivers breaking the law. The smartphone-summoned ride service last week acknowledged the use of the secret software program to steer drivers away from trouble, including sting operations by local authorities to catch lawbreakers.

“We have started a review of the different ways this technology has been used to date,” Uber chief security officer Joe Sullivan said in an online post titled an ‘update on greyballing’. “In addition, we are expressly prohibiting its use to target action by local regulators going forward. He noted that due to how Uber systems are configured, it “will take some time to ensure this prohibition is fully enforced”.

According to Uber, the tool was used in cities where it was not banned from operating, and the main intent was to protect drivers from disruption by competitors using the smartphone application to interfere instead of summon legitimate rides.

“This technology is used to hide the standard city app view for individual riders, enabling Uber to show that same rider a different version,” Sullivan said in the post. Uber came forward about its ‘Greyball’ software after a New York Times report which said the program aimed to deceive authorities in markets around the world.

Uber on Tuesday began searching for a second-incommand to help embattled chief executive Travis Kalanick steady the wheel at the fast-growing on-demand ride service.

Uber is prohibiting its use to target action by local regulators

The tool was used in cities where it was not banned from operating, and the main intent was to protect drivers from disruption