--- title: "If This Leak Is Real, Uber Is in Huge Trouble" description: "Oft-troubled rideshare application Uber is in hot water once again — and this time, allies like French President Emmanuel Macron might be going down, too." date: "2022-07-11" modified: "2022-07-11" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/leak-uber-huge-trouble" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "france" - "silicon valley" - "Uber" - "uber files" --- # If This Leak Is Real, Uber Is in Huge Trouble ![Oft-troubled rideshare application Uber is in hot water once again — and this time, allies like French President Emmanuel Macron might be going down, too.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* In a surprise to absolutely no one, [oft-troubled]() rideshare app [Uber]() is in hot water [once again]() — and this time, powerful friends of the Silicon Valley giant, including French President [Emmanuel Macron](), might be going down too. Dubbed the Uber Files, a massive data leak — [obtained by *The Guardian*]() and shared with over 40 international news organizations including [*The Washington Post*]() — allegedly reveals a thick stack of less-than-legal abuses ranging from [exploiting violence]() against drivers and [erasing incriminating data]() during police raids, to secretly lobbying governments and powerful figures worldwide, among other notable claims. The more than 124,000 leaked internal documents were all sourced from the 5-year period in which the company, helmed at the time by controversial cofounder [Travis Kalanick](), was seeking aggressive worldwide expansion. As the *Guardian* details, Uber's swift growth was met with outrage by the global taxi community. Some of these protests turned violent, [notably in France](), where drivers faced physical harm and damage to vehicles. But according to the leak, Uber — which allegedly hit "[kill switches]()" to demolish IT data before French police could get their hands on it — thought the violence [bolstered its interests](). "I think it's worth it," read a message from Kalanick to execs, in response to concerns about the spree of anti-Uber attacks. "Violence guarantee\[s\] success." France's then-economy minister Macron was apparently on Uber's side, too. He reportedly made a "secret" deal with the organization in spite of national outrage and citizen danger, and was just one of the company's many alleged European cohorts — a list including [Russian oligarchs]() and top [EU officials](), according to the leak. Spokespeople [for Uber]() and Kalanick have scrambled to diminish and — in [Kalanick's case]() — deny the claims, though most signs suggest that this astonishing leak is very much real. And according to the *Guardian*, the Files showed that company leaders were well aware of wrongdoing. "We're just f\*\*\*\*\*\* illegal," read one message from the Files. We cannot stress enough how *much* bad behavior is outlined in the Files, from the borderline-legal to the flat-out evil. Figures like [top Obama aides]() have been implicated, and nothing, it seems, was off limits. An unsuccessful attempt to cozy up to the [Russian administration]() during the invasion of Crimea? Why not! Actively undermine the [livelihoods of South African]() drivers? Sure! "Know this is a normal part of Uber's business," wrote another Uber bigwig in Asia, when confronted with government concerns over growing unrest. "Embrace the chaos. It means you're doing something meaningful." **READ MORE:** [*Uber broke laws, duped police and secretly lobbied governments, leak reveals*]() \[*The Guardian*\] **More on bad Uber behavior:** *[Uber Criticized for Charging Surge Pricing for Riders Escaping Mass Shooting]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()