Ex-Employee: Uber Stalked Politicians, Celebrities and Executives

Ward Spangenberg is suing Uber. He’s a former information security manager for the ride-sharing giant, and he’s blowing the whistle: Spangenberg claims Uber employees violated user privacy by routinely tracking their whereabouts. Technicians used the proprietary “God View,” and other private information, to stalk high-profile celebrities (Beyoncé, for one), politicians, ex-boyfriends, ex-girlfriends, and ex-spouses. And whoever else they so wished to locate and track.

Five ex-Uber security professionals gave further credence to Spangenberg’s story.

The privacy violations date back to 2014, when various news outlets first exposed Uber’s God View — a map that enabled Uber employees to surveil drivers and passengers in real time. 

After joining the small security team in March, 2015, Spangenberg attempted to patch these weaknesses, and “frequently objected to what he believed were reckless and illegal practices,” Reveal reports. So, in February, Uber fired him.

Now, the 45-year-old is suing the company for both age discrimination and whistleblower retaliation, reports Reveal, which is the Center for Investigative Reporting’s online publication. In his declaration, he states that Uber’s security weaknesses enabled people to “track high profile politicians, celebrities, and even personal acquaintances of Uber employees,” which constituted “a violation of governmental regulations regarding data protection and consumer privacy rights.”

He continues:

Uber collected data regarding every ride a user requested, their username, the location the ride was requested from, the amount they paid, the device used to request the ride (i.e., iPhone, Droid, etc.), the name and email of the customer, and a myriad of other data…

Spangenberg included a document collating all the data Uber had harvested about him, which shows the extent of these privacy breaches. He also alleged that driver information was particularly vulnerable, and that Uber would remotely encrypt computers to cover its tracks and preclude any and all government investigations. (“Uber would lock down the office and immediately cut all connectivity so that law enforcement could not access Uber’s information,” he wrote.)

Uber claims that it has since made up for these vulnerabilities, but five former internal security professionals disagree. In May, the Electronic Frontier Foundation claimed Uber was trustworthy. After these revelations, EFF may need to reassess that judgment. 

Next time you’re looking for a ride, maybe stick with a taxi or your friendly neighborhood car service. And if you’re an Uber passenger, maybe — for starters — don’t participate in its facial recognition program.

Source : Inverse.com

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Even More Disruption On The Way : Lambeth Bridge northern roundabout.

 

Dear Sir or Madam,

We are writing to announce planned improvements to road safety at Lambeth Bridge northern roundabout, which have been developed in collaboration with Westminster City Council. The plans are designed to deliver road safety benefits in the short term while we investigate a longer-term solution for a more fundamental change to the layout of this junction. We intend to start construction of this scheme in January 2017.

The scheme is similar to proposals we consulted on in 2012 and will include the following measures: 

Extending footways and traffic islands to reduce traffic speeds and provide more space for pedestrians
Raising zebra crossings to the same level as the footway on all four junction arms in order to reduce traffic speeds and increase safety
Providing narrower, better-defined lanes to discourage motorists from weaving between lanes on the roundabout 

Following concerns expressed about the potential for conflict between pedestrians and cyclists during the 2012 consultation, we no longer intend to convert any footways to shared-use space as part of this scheme. 

We do not expect the finished scheme to affect road user journey times through the area. There would be some short-term disruption during construction, although we will do our best to minimise this and will provide local people and road users with advance information to help them plan ahead. 

For more details about the scheme, please visit http://ift.tt/2gyu7jg. If you have any questions about the scheme, please email STEngagement@tfl.gov.uk or get in touch with your usual TfL contact. 

Yours faithfully,



matthew moore signature crop

Matthew Moore

Consultation Team
Transport for London

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The Curious Incident Of Janet's Street Porters Friend And Mad Dog In The Night !

It's the start of another week with another detrimental article, this time in the Independent by Janet Street-Porter, a lady I've picked up twice before and would've said she was trade friendly, but now I wonder.

The article's about Dads Defending Daughters and an apparent propaganda war against Uber claiming to be a campaign group trying to protect women from Uber rapists but it's really designed to mask the true agenda which is to kill off the competition (She said).

Her argument is so weak and boring it's sad, although her article was in response to an over zealous cabman trying to educate her colleague about Uber rape figures.

She also eludes to the group being a British version of the violent American DDD, which obviously couldn't be further from the truth. As usual John Warboys and David Perry reared their ugly heads as examples of black cab rapists and as usual their was no mention of the cab driver wrongfully accused and convicted of two counts of rape which resulted in him receiving two 8 year sentences to run concurrently. 

I won't name him out of respect for the man's family.

He was an innocent man who had consensual sex with a young "lady" who discovered her boyfriend waiting for her unexpectedly when the driver dropped her home. 

All she could think of to hide her infidelity was to say the cab driver raped her. 

Unable to accept his fate, the poor man took his own life in prison and was subsequently posthumously acquitted after his "victim", wracked with guilt, decided to tell the truth about what had really happened.

Nor did she mention that in some countries rape is a conviction that, on average, is expunged from records after 3/5 years. That being the case a rapist in Slovenia for example, can receive a jail sentence for rape, which ranges from 6 months to 1 year, yet have that record removed after 3 years. 

Similarly, in Bulgaria, convicted rapists are jailed for an average of 2 years and convictions of 3 years or less are removed from record after 5 years. 

A large number of Uber drivers are from Eastern Europe so it's not inconceivable that some could possibly have an expunged record.

If a qualified check can't be made how can TFL ensure women's safety?

They can't!!

That tells me DDD has a legitimacy that must be listened to and given a platform to make themselves heard instead of being constantly questioned by the media, especially when the media should be questioning TFL about the late release of the rape figures.

Every time journalists like Ms Street-Porter write lazy articles like this it makes my blood boil. 

She didn't even have the good grace to contact DDD for comment before submitting her article to print, which is fundamental to the reader developing a fair and balanced view of the subject. 

DDD have written to her explaining where she went wrong and I hope she learns something. 

Time will tell.

Be lucky.

Dear Ms Street-Porter,

I have no idea how to contact you, so this is the best I can do.

I believe I know why you wrote that piece about DDD, and I empathise.

I empathise because a cab driver pestered a friend of yours.

I have had to block that same driver from my phone.

He is an incessant pest.

He is not a part of DDD. Nor do I know anything about the USA version.

My friend and I came up with the name over fish and chips in Whitecross Street.

DDD is not about Uber. It is about TfL deregulating the Private Hire industry to appease Uber. Therefore background checks are not as stringent as they should be. Male and females have been attacked as a result.

Uber are not so much a threat to Taxis, as they are to other minicab companies.

The threat to the Taxi is TfL's mismanagement of our roads, leading to a high volume of congestion. Nothing to do with DDD.

I am not here to apologise for someone else's actions. And believe me, I sympathise with your colleague. Her protagonist is as thick skinned and backward as you will ever find.

You have written your article, which I agree is straight about most things.

We all have to bare the burden of Warboys.

As you know, there are nasty bastards in all walks of life. Seventeen police officers committed rape during this past year. Paedo rings involving prominent MPs, judges, doctors, celebrities, milkmen, postmen, etc.

A Taxi driver was charged with rape in 2014.

It is not about the odd teacher or priest, it is about the scale of rape and sexual assault by TfL licensed minicab drivers in London alone.

Getting into a minicab or Uber does not have to be dangerous. If TfL are backed by this Government to do proper background checks via a minimum of a three year DBS, most of these sexual and physical assaults can be avoided. This is exactly in line with Mayor Khan's wishes.

The scale of minicab rape is backed up by a Metropolitan Police freedom of information application, and acknowledged by Sadiq Khan during his Mayor's Questions by the GLA, earlier this year.

Staggering statistics, I know. It was a shock to us too! This is why we organised Dads Defending Daughters.

I do not have to discredit Uber, they do that to themselves, all across the globe.

Uber will never go away. They will just become another AddLee, when they are regulated.

As for DDD's hidden agenda, we simply do not have one. No egos, no sought after limelight. Nothing other than the desire to inform the public.

The media refuse to acknowledge the problem. Murdoch scuppered the story. The BBC remains silent (nothing new there).

You are not the first to question our motives. And why not? Our aim comes across as obvious protectionism. I can see that. Val Shawcross views us that way too.

I personally do deal in protectionism, but not under the guise of the DDD. The DDD is pure of heart.

We can talk about a corrupt TfL, the 'Great Bus Scam', the CSH, the mismanagement of building sites and roadworks that are affecting and destroying our city and my trade. But that has little or nothing to do with DDD.

I honestly believe Uber has had very little impact on my pocket.

I do not hate Uber drivers. I know they are as much victims of Uber as their rivals. But neither do I feel sympathy for them.

When Uber are toeing the legitimate line, and TfL have been made to take their duty of care seriously, DDD will be satisfied.

Although, I do see a problem with an understaffed and under policed 24 hour tube.

Kind regards,

Lenny Etheridge

Click here for Janet Street-Porter's article.

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Moratorium On Private Hire Licenses....Oh What A Tangled Web You've Weaved TfL.

Cross Border Hiring aka discrimination by design....by I'm Spartacus.

So as expected Uber London licensed PH drivers and vehicles now infesting St Albans, Brighton, Southend and many other towns, they are now actively recruiting smaller town drivers to work elsewhere to undermine local legitimate Taxi & PH. 'Just go in Brighton and park up mate'.

All beyond control of the local licensing regime as they have no jurisdiction and the public is clearly at risk.

Of course those in those smaller places often have poor public transport and those such as the elderly, disabled or those with small children won't be served as no doubt inducements will be made to drivers to work elsewhere and those poor unfortunates will pay the price of not having a smartphone, don't wish or cant pay by card and don't fancy being rooked by surge pricing.

Discrimination by design.

So what's that go to do with us in the traffic crippled smoke?

Well let's fast forward to Uber's application to renew their operators licence (that's from the company that says it isn't a transport operator by the way) and miracle of miracles the 'form book' is turned upside down and TfL refuse to renew after let's say the LTDA object.

Uber leave town and a bonanza of work ensues, you might think, not a bit of it sorry to say, their will be a brief pause until Uber and their lobbyists with their links to government find a local authority happy to take the almighty dollar and licence all and sundry under a 'flag of convenience'.

We would be worse off as the 'sticker squad' of TfL compliance officers would have no jurisdiction at all over these driver and vehicles, there's little enough enforcement now save trivial matters such as unsigned bills etc, we then have the unattractive prospect of TfL compliance only having us to enforce against!

So whats to be done?

TfL insert a condition that vehicles are to work within their licensed area (Many authorities already do this) and insist a 'geofence' erected for companies that despatch by data to stop any driver that attempts to log on out of area.

In addition TfL today need to despatch compliance officers to these out of town hotspots to assist local  licensing teams, TfL have had the fees in to fund enforcement.

The police forces (like the great Birmingham Taxi Cop) need to act in a concerted way to eliminate the scourge.

We across the UK need to organise the biggest protest ever seen to force action by the government both locally and nationally.

The Law Commission talked about National Standards for Private Hire, well without a National Enforcement team, it's effectively no standard at all is it?

Ensure in law that the bogus pre booking is eliminated by statutory definition, clear and unambiguous, forget any naysayers, we can't be worse off than now in any respect.

If unchecked the only ones to suffer will be the legitimate trade and of course those people referred to earlier.

Discrimination by design.

Offshore based companies not paying their due, underpaid drivers propped up by the Tax and benefits system that's supposed to fund those in need and pay for our NHS etc.

Discrimination by design.

So Teresa, Chris, Members of the Commons and Lords, HMRC, DWP, Sadiq, Val, GLA, TfL, Local councillors everywhere who's side are you on?

The legitimate hard working small business or some offshore entity that gives nothing back.

Your actions will determine if you support us or Discrimination by design.


I'm Spartacus

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Compliance Officers, Blatantly Abusing Powers On Heathrow Ranks : Letter To Taxi Leaks

Surely someone has some clout to sort this mob out?

This guy has done over 4 hours in the Taxi Feeder park and is on point. TFL have had all that time in which to hassle him?

Why have they waited until he is on point of a rank?

The group on the left turn up and block the pavement chatting to the rank agents. 

Then one of them decides he's going to badge and bill the guy on point. 

Just as a passenger walks up the rank. The passenger is then struggling to get past this rabble with a case. They eventually move over enough to get passed. But no sorry to the passenger or assistance who's then directed to the point cab.

Rather than back off, the CO continues to hassle the driver whose having problems finding his bill in his string pocket. Whilst the passenger now sits patiently in the back.

The passenger is eventually told to get the next cab. 

These idiot PCOs don't seem to care.

Good customer service would have been to help the poor woman with her case and open the door's for her.

I've never seen a CO badge and bill the point cab? Especially at the flyers should they not ignore the three point cabs unless there's a customer issue?

After all the driver would have been badged and billed when he last got credits.

Editorial Opinion : 

IF A CO (unaccompanied by uniformed police officer) IS GOING TO B&B A CAB ON POINT OF A RANK, IT CAN ONLY BE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT AS SOON AS A PASSENGER GETS IN THE VEHICLE, THE INSPECTION MUST IMMEDIATELY CEASE.

PCOs do not have the power to stop you working, unless accompanied by a uniformed warranted police officer.

When the passenger approached the driver, he would have been well within his rights to instigate a stop of the Badge and Bill check (as you say, he's already had a Badge and Bill  when he purchased his credits) and helped the lady into his cab, put the meter on and driven off. 

I hope you have the COs details (always take them down if B&B'ed as you are as much entitled to check their documents as they are yours). Make sure you put in a formal complaint, this was a definite abuse of their powers. 

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Time To End This Premiership Psychology? ..............by Semtex.

When I was a butterboy and first got my licence, I lived in Kent. Driving in to do a shift, I would see some of our own driving the opposite way, after doing their nightshift. Invariably, we would wave, nod or flash our lights, to acknowledge that we were part of a Brotherhood sort of thing.  As silly as it sounds, I used to like that sort of camaraderie, it was something I was used to in the military. 

It used to make me feel good, a sense of belonging and strength, and tiny little things like that would all add together and make a more enjoyable day. In my little brain anyway.   You don't see it as much these days, do you ? Why is that, do you think ?

The other day, I thought I would catch up with an old pal in the trade that I haven't spoke to for some time. The phone rang, and it went on to answerphone. I left a brief message to say it was me, and if he got a chance, ring me back later for a chat. Not more than ten minutes later, I got a text from the fella. 

Now, before I say anymore, I would like to say that this man has done a huge amount for our trade. I have stood shoulder to shoulder with him on most of our demo's and meetings over a very long time, and consider him as a very good trade friend and ally. For the record and despite what I am about to tell you, I still do. I respect this man a great deal. He has put thousands of hours into our well being, and could never be paid for his commitment and loyalty.   Anyway, I digress.

I wont write the text down word for word verbatim, as the style and language would give away who it was, but it said more or less something like this. " Hello Steve. Saw your piece in Jimmy's blog. I know your heart is in the right place, but you really ain't helping those of us who are trying to make in-roads with the authorities. The nearer we get to scoring a hit, you come out with a piece like that and give them all the hump again, and its back to square one ! You are hindering us more than helping us".

I read the text, and immediately phoned my pal back, but again, straight onto answerphone. I can safely assume he didn't want to talk to me. I was honestly truly gutted. I thought about it for a few hours, and conceded and went to text back to apologise. I was absolutely choked to think that ANY of our own would think I would deliberately go out of my way to harm the trade that I love, worse still, undermine my colleagues hard work, to put them in a position whereby they think I had been responsible for sabotaging their hard graft. 

That is the very last thing I would do. I hated myself. I'm not kidding, it really affected me.   Before sending the text of apology, I sat on it for a few hours and thought about it. And when I did, I got angry. I got angry that yes maybe many of our mates had indeed worked hard to pave the way by befriending the authorities, ministers and MP's. But what actually had we achieved by it as a Trade ? 

Apart from an extra rank here and there, and some other bits and pieces, what advantage have making the authorities as allies, given us? ? 

And it wasn't as if I was being impatient, we have had 400 years to do this. After winding myself up about it, and still well choked, I decided not to send the text at all, and not to ring back either. I was not only upset, I was embarrassed and felt guilty, but justified as well.

But what a bloody shame. What a tragedy. Although I am not 100% sure yet, it appears that I have lost a good pal over a piece I wrote for Taxi Leaks, trying to expose the bad guys. But I'm not the only one, it seems. I know of a case of two of our leading trade stalwarts who actually went to school with each other and did the knowledge with each other and got their licences together. No longer on speaking terms because one of them belong to one org, the other to another. Isn't that an absolute tragedy ? 

I think that is absolutely dreadful, honestly I do. Stuff like this really upsets me. I am sure that the man himself Jim Thomas, who has done more for this trade than any other person I know, would agree with me too. I know for a fact that he regularly sees this happening and has been on the end of it himself. It's criminal, I reckon. I honestly do. I made the mistake of saying to a mate that I thought our trade was better using a professional spokesman when it came to media interviews. He has never spoke to me again ! My observations were seen as a direct attack on the man himself, which of course, was the very last thing I intended. That upset me too. It's crazy.

But why has this happened to us ? 

I think I know. 

First of all, I can tell you that I have been a member of every single trade union, club org or society that is out there. Today, I am a member of none. That is not to say that they are all useless, although some are. But I find the football supporters mentality within these orgs, quiet disturbing. I have been a member of an org in the past, when another org has called a demo or meeting for a very good cause. And yet, the org I was in, forbade me to support it ! Why not ? 

They are my mates ! They are London Cabbies ! They are in a different team to me, but they drive a cab ! What's the problem ? 

But folks, please believe me, there was a problem..........a bloody big one according to the leaders. And it's ludicrous that there is any problem at all. 

When the RMT Cab Drivers Section was formed some years ago, I was one of the pioneering first members. Their militancy appealed to me, and I have always, and still do admire the leadership skills and fear that Bob Crow, bless his soul, used to strike into his adversaries. Anyway, not long after their formation, we had our first active service call, after the Carriage Office decided to give an ex mini cab driver and murderer their blessing to start the knowledge to be one of us.

We got wind of it and decided to confront the authorities over it with direct action. The LTDA heard about it, and thankfully, decided to support it too.

So far so good then. Great. This, I thought, was what it was all about. Professional Unity from ALL sides. However, unbeknown to me, what I witnessed on that pavement outside the carriage office in Penton Street, was probably the catalyst of the premiership nonsense we see in our battered trade today.

The RMT arrived first. We set up right under the windows in Penton Street. Megaphones blaring, traffic police in attendance, banners waving and roads started to grind to a stop all around. Shortly after, the LTDA arrived. But they deliberately made sure they were nowhere near the RMT stall !!! You think I'm joking don't you ? Ask anyone that was there. 

There was an obvious and very defined gap on the pavement between the RMT and LTDA that day. There was nothing else in the gap, just empty, as though it were filled with ectoplasm ! This would have never happened in the military, so seeing it, surprised me, and it played on my mind for ages after. I thought, why didn't they just all stand together and make the attendance look even more awesome and massive than it was, a trick used in many infantry battalion battles in the past ? 

But nope, they didn't. 

The LTDA ensured there was a deliberate visible gap away from us in the RMT.   

Strange, I thought, and as I say, I pondered about the psychology of it for ages after. I wasn't comfortable with it at all, and mentioned it to several trade leaders. Over the next few years, other orgs were formed, and If I though I had imagined what unfolded on the Penton Street pavement that day, I certainly wasn't imaging it now ! I had confirmation in stone. There was most definately a nasty, blatant, football supporting mentality creeping into our trade, at a time when it was surely the very last thing in the world that we needed.

Run the tape on a few years what have we got. I will tell you what we've got. We've got a London Cab Trade fractured and divided to bollox. Mates are no longer mates, buddies re no longer buddies, purely because they give their monthly subs to different "teams". Orgs are all concentrating on different briefs, often in secrecy, not to stop the targets from getting wind of it, but to prevent another org from taking the "glory" ! 

Drivers walk into cafes and canteens and it goes quiet. Not because the driver is Clint Eastwood, Ronnie Kray or Frank Sinatra, but because he is in the LTDA and his mates are in the Club ! Embarrassing isn't it ? Nuts isn't it ? We need our brains testing folks ! It's absolutely inexcusable ! That is one of the reasons I am in nothing. I find it deeply disturbing.   Dropping a man out of the tea round because he pays his subs to a different org than the rest of the table ? 

Lunacy ! Outrageously unnecessary.

It has clearly shot us in the foot though, and resulted in what we see today, when we need to defend ourselves. Useless ! No support, no unity, no brotherhood, no teeth. And our opponents and authorities out there who want to kill us, are rubbing their hands together ! It is EXACTLY what they wanted ! They know what we apparently don't. And that is, STRENGTH IN UNITY. POWER TO THE PEOPLE. 

Bob Crow and any formidable union leader like him, would turn in his grave to see how splintered us lot are. That is partly the reason also, that when we do manage to make a half hearted attempt at unity, we all go out with a different message. The Media and Press interview us and we all give a different reason for being there. We get laughed at and nobody takes us seriously. That is a direct result that all these orgs have caused folks. Org leaders may think they are being clever, but between them they are breaking this trade of ours down into sawdust. The exact opposite of what they should have been formed for!

What then, is the future ? 

How do we put it right ?  

Not such an easy answer, I fear. Every one of the Trade Orgs will tell you they are the best, it's a natural response. If I had my way, I would get the lot to amalgamate into one massive union. A union with teeth, a union with foresight, a union with plans, a union with action, a union with spunk and a union with authority and clout. A union with a direct brief to attack and destroy any authority any unfair competition and any unruly treatment. But that of course, is in my dreams. It will never happen. 

The "Men" that I predicted would kill us so long ago are well and truly established now. They are loading, firing and picking us off one by one, and day by day taking more and more of our fire power.

You don't need to be Montgomery to realise that if the enemy keep progressing as successfully as they have been doing for so long, the battle will be in grave danger of a grave loss on our part. Imagine the 400 legacy of a Great British Heritage, lost to the shysters whilst on our watch. Unimaginable, isn't it ?

The lightning deployment and accurate targeting by our colleagues in The Mayfair Mob and Dads Defending Daughters should be the gold standard that every org leader aspires to. It is just a pity that these proper fighters are by virtue of their numbers, more established and supported.

My post this week then is more to our trade leaders than the rest of us. We are in desperate need of some realistic representation out there right now. Trade Orgs have to have some tangible appeal for people just passing out and gaining their badge this week. Who do they give their money to ? 

Bollox to the diaries, stick the holiday discounts up your arse, and stop thinking that gaining an extra rank space is a game changer. It ain't and we are dying out here. The authorities are running us ragged, the public are deserting us, and illegally licensed mini cab firms are having too much to say. 

Just like me, according to my mate of twenty years or so !

Folks, this Football Premiership Trade Org bollox has to stop. If it doesn't, I guarantee you that our trade will be lost for eternity during the next two years or so. We have the backing, we have the numbers and we have the skills. 

There are some absolutely top, top people in this trade of ours, and together we could blow the opposition or anyone intent on harming us, away, instead of ignoring phone calls and dropping each other out of a cup of tea. Let's at least try to end this football team premiership arseholes folks, we are grown men and women.   We just need the elite to get together, amalgamate, unite and fight. After all, that is what they are supposed to do......isn't it ?

Be lucky all.

8829 Semtex

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