DOJ Launches Criminal Investigation Into Uber’s Regulatory Evasion

The U.S. Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into whether Uber used secret software to evade authorities where the ride-sharing app was restricted or outright banned. Uber allegedly developed a software program called “Greyball” which identified and blocked rides to transportation regulators posing as Uber customers who hoped to prove the company was operating illegally. According to the Washington Post, the investigation is in its early stages. The revelation of the investigation deepens Uber’s legal morass, largely surrounding embattled CEO and founder Travis Kalanick, who faces high-profile sexual harassment complaints and a trade secrets lawsuit from Google.