Uber Threatens To Do 'Opposition Research' On Journalists

Nerval's Lobster writes A senior executive at Uber reportedly told a Buzzfeed writer that the company "should consider hiring a team of opposition researchers to dig up dirt on its critics in the media — and specifically to spread details of the personal life of a female journalist who has criticized the company." As detailed by the executive, Uber would spend a million dollars on the effort, which would involve "four top opposition researchers and four journalists," and dig into personal lives and families. Uber has pushed back against the report, insisting that it's never done opposition research, but the idea of any company engaging in such practices seems more like something Nixon would have dreamed up at his worst than a strategy by a "disruptive" startup.

Comments

No, this is absolutely normal SOP these days.

[Dr. Manhattan]

For example:

If the oil and gas industry wants to prevent its opponents from slowing its efforts to drill in more places, it must be prepared to employ tactics like digging up embarrassing tidbits about environmentalists and liberal celebrities, a veteran Washington political consultant told a room full of industry executives in a speech that was secretly recorded.

Re:There's not a lot to say, this is scummy

[NatasRevol]

You might want to go read this:
http://pando.com/2014/11/17/th...

Back in 2012, Paul Carr first raised serious concerns about the company’s view that both riders and drivers are disposable commodities in an all-out Randian battle to maximize profits. He uninstalled the app when he wrote that piece, and he started a drumbeat of press around these concerns.

Then, in 2014, Carmel DeAmicis exposed that an Uber driver accused of assault had a criminal record that should have been uncovered by the background checks Uber claimed to do. She further documented a “blame the passenger” culture at the company when such complaints came up.

It started to snowball: An investigation at The Verge exposed cut throat competitive tactics that the company has taken against its primary competitor Lyft.

Then, a few weeks ago, I wrote a story about the outrageous sexism woven deeply into the culture of the company. We’ve seen it in the company’s PR team discrediting female passengers who accuse drivers of attacking them by whispering that they were “drunk” or “dressed provocatively.”

We’ve seen it in CEO Travis Kalanick’s comments that he calls the company “boober” because of all the tail he gets since running it.

Re:I don't know... Maybe...

[wiredog]

Except that, in GamerGate, the journalist in question never reviewed the game, which itself was never reviewed in the publication in question. Thus, the entire GamerGate "controversy" was built on lies told by the GamerGate hashtaggers.

Scumbaggery from on high

[Sir_Eptishous]

At the Waverly Inn dinner, it was suggested that a plan like the one Michael floated could become a problem for Uber. Michael responded: “Nobody would know it was us.”

"Emil Michael is the new SVP of Business at Uber. Most recently, Emil was the Chief Operating Officer at Klout (where he continues to serve on the Board of Directors) and before that was SVP of Field Operations at Tellme Networks (sold to Microsoft in 2007). He has been an active investor and advisor in the Silicon Valley since 1999 before which he was an associate in Goldman Sach’s Communications, Media and Entertainment Group in New York City. He also served as a White House Fellow to the Secretary of Defense from 2009 through 2011. He is a graduate of Harvard with an AB degree in Government and Stanford Law School where he received a JD."