Cambridge Analytica has announced today that it will be shutting down.

Since the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal erupted seven weeks ago, Mark Zuckerberg’s social network has been the epitome of contrition. The same cannot be said of the British election consultancy, which last night announced it was shutting down.

Cambridge Analytica, which worked for Donald Trump's election campaign, blamed a “siege of media coverage” for the legal claims and lost clients that mean the company could no longer continue.

But if this is the end of Cambridge Analytica, it is far from the end of the story. 

Britain’s data watchdog said its investigation into the company will continue; meanwhile, executives appear to have already moved to create a new firm.

'NO LONGER VIABLE'

Cambridge Analytica has faced a series of damaging allegations in recent weeks, of which the claim that it obtained the private information of up to 87m Facebook users was only one.

It said an independent report from the lawyer Julian Malins had found that recent allegations were “not borne out by the facts”, but that news reports meant it had lost clients. The company had been banned from advertising on Facebook and Twitter in recent weeks, blocking a lot of its potential work.

THE SAGA CONTINUES

Despite shutting down, Cambridge Analytica may well live on in some form. Company filings show that several executives have created a new firm called Emerdata, a potential rehousing of the company under a new name.

Meanwhile, investigations into the company will continue. 

Damian Collins, the MP in charge of the committee investigating Cambridge Analytica among others, last night said the company should not be allowed to delete its data.

The Information Commissioner’s Office says its investigation will continue to pursue “individuals and directors”. Cambridge Analytica is down, but its story seems far from finished

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Let's Remind Ourselves What The Prime Minister Said To The BBC About Uber In September!

Uber ruling puts jobs at risk, says Theresa May 

The decision to stop Uber operating in London was "disproportionate" and has put thousands of jobs at risk, the prime minister has told the BBC.

The taxi-hailing company has been told it will lose its private hire licence, after Transport for London cited public safety and security concerns.

Uber is appealing against the decision but has apologised for its "mistakes".

Mrs May said Uber had questions to answer but the decision to stop it operating had "damaged lives".

Uber: Mayor backs talks after firm's apology

In one of a series of interviews ahead of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester next week, Mrs May told BBC London political editor Tim Donovan she blamed London Mayor Sadiq Khan - who is also the chairman of TfL.

"At a stroke of a pen, what the mayor has done is risked 40,000 jobs and of course... damaged the lives of those 3.5 million Uber users.

"Yes there are safety concerns and issues for Uber to address, but what I want to see is a level playing field between the private firms and our wonderful London taxis, our black cabs, our great national institution.

"I want to see a level playing field. I think a blanket ban is disproportionate."

'Must change'

She said: "What I think people want to see is choice."

People use the Uber app to book taxis with their smart phones.

London's transport authority, TfL, took the decision last Friday not to renew Uber's licence to operate in the capital beyond the end of September, saying the company was not fit and proper to hold a London private hire operator licence.

It cited concerns about Uber's treatment of criminal offences, medical certificates, and drivers' background checks.

London's mayor asked TfL to meet Uber's chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, after he said in an open letter that Uber would appeal against the city's decision but accepted the company "must change".

On Thursday, the mayor's spokesman said: "Sadiq has every sympathy with customers and drivers of Uber, but is clear that any anger must be directed at Uber itself.

"Regulation is there for a reason and it would have been wrong for TfL to have renewed Uber's licence if they had concerns about Uber being a fit and proper operator."

Mrs May was also asked about the Grenfell Tower disaster.

She said there was a need to "get to the bottom of the truth of what happened" but also make sure that, in future, when tenants complained about safety, they were listened to.

"That's why the housing minister is going around the country, listening to social housing tenants. We want to listen to them, we want to ensure that in future, when they raise their voice, their voice is heard," she said.

Sixty six people who died in the fire have now been formally identified - the total number of estimated deaths is 80, although police have said it may be lower.

In other BBC interviews, Mrs May addressed an issue referred to by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in his own conference speech - the UK's housing crisis, particularly for young people.

'Not quitter'

The prime minister told the BBC's South East Today's Helen Catt: "We need to show how we are addressing the issues that we know are of concern to people, like housing for young people.

"You'll be hearing from the government, in due course, obviously, how we are going to address those issues.

"We need to ensure that young people are able to build a better future for themselves and don't fear that they are going to have a worse future than their parents."

In his closing speech at this week's Labour conference, Mr Corbyn pledged to curb rents in the private sector and said any redevelopment of a housing estate under a Labour government would have to be backed by a council ballot of residents.

Conservative Party members will gather in Manchester next week for the party's annual conference, against the backdrop of Mrs May having lost her parliamentary majority in a snap election and continued questions about cabinet unity over Brexit.

Asked about her future, Mrs May said: "I've been very clear. I've said I'm not a quitter - but there's a job for this Conservative Party in government to be doing and that's what we're getting on with.

"At this Conservative Party conference, we'll be setting out very clearly how, as Conservatives in government, we will build the road for a better future for people."

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Uber Trying To Pull The Wool Over The Media Again. Remember Who SoldOut Your Trade When You Vote Today

If you intend to vote today, remember this 

These people protected a billion dollar company, which doesn't pay its full taxes or VAT, and given them your livelihood. They leaned on TfL and Boris Johnson to go easy on Uber.

David Cameron, George Osbourne, Sajid Javid and Theresa May

All turned over the London licence Taxi trade.

All Tories....just remember this when you go to the poles later today....

Uber pulling the wool over the eyes of the media!

Well here we go again, Uber the company that professes it's easier to seek forgiveness than it is to seek permission, has been telling TfLTPH that it has tightened up its in house every day operations, making it safer for its passenger users and drivers. But again, as we've seen many times before, this company just can't play with its cards on the table.

Virtual everything it says and does, is designed solely to exploit and deceive the regulating agency and the National press with its the normal rhetorical drivel. 

Latest statement from the rape app shouts out loud, "We are safe as now the driver only works 10 Hrs". 

But what they're not saying,...when they consider their drivers are actually working !!!

Taking into consideration the screen shot from their own website, Uber are saying their drivers are not actually working in the true sense of the word, until the driver has accepted the job - has the passenger on board - clears the job.

It would appear that the driver could be driving round town with hours I between job acceptances but still concise red as not actually working !!!

This is a multi billion dolla corporate pulling the wool over the eyes of the regulators and the press.

This must be pointed out out ever licensing appeal hearing !

TAXI LEAKS EXTRA BIT: by Lenny Etheridge

Uber's work model is illegal - they've admitted this in court three times.

Clifford Chance said Uber were illegal.

Deloitte said Uber were illegal.

Yet TfL didn't care that Uber were illegal - they licensed them anyway.

More Taxi Leaks Extra Bit:  Licenses in London 

Licenses issued last week 

Information about the number and type of licence issued will be updated regularly. The following figures cover the week ending Sunday 29 April 2018:

Private hire driver licences - 113,212: a decrease of 130 on the previous week, 146 licences are new.

Private hire vehicle licences - 87,818: a decrease of 14 on the previous week, 366 licences are new.

Private hire operator licences - 2,356: an increase of 5 on the previous week, 10 licences are new.

Taxi driver licences - 23,795: an increase of 5 on the previous week, 24 licences are new. Of those taxi drivers, as of 29 April, 20,789 hold All London licences, and 3,006 hold Suburban licences.

Taxi vehicle licences - 20,948: a decrease of 18 on the previous week, 22 are new.

Knowledge

The number of candidates studying the Knowledge of London is currently 1,414 at Stage 3 (down 9 from last week), 459 at Stage 4 (up 1 from last week) and 276 at Stage 5 (down 9 from last week). In addition, as of March 2018, there were 4,294 candidates that had not yet reached Stage 3 (this figure may include inactive candidates).

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Hero cabbie chased down and caught thugs who snatched his takings, court hears

A taxi driver has told the Old Bailey he chased and caught a teenager who had snatched his takings as he felt “violated”.

Gary Cox, above, was flagged down in Marylebone by two men who asked to be taken to Victoria on December 3. 

He told the court that one man then pounced “like a gazelle” to steal his cash bag and they tussled before the thieves fled with about £35. Mr Cox gave chase, grabbing one thief by the hood before he struggled free. 

“I must say for a fat bloke he ran really fast,” he said. 

Mr Cox later picked out a 17-year-old in an identity parade. 

The teenager, who cannot be identified, is also accused of taking a moped at knifepoint in St John’s Wood.  He denies two counts of robbery. 

The trial continues.

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Basildon taxi firm forced to expand into Canvey as Uber arrives

A BASILDON taxi firm has been forced to expand into Canvey and Castle Point to combat the influx of Uber drivers taking their business.

Uber drivers, excluded from operating in Chelmsford, Southend and Rayleigh, have been accused of zoning in on Basildon instead.

In March, the ridesharing app was “geo-fenced” from Southend, Chelmsford and Rayleigh, which prevents the driver operating in those locations.

Chris Cowley from Laindon, who manages the office of Basildon’s A & B Taxis, claims that Uber’s decision to make these Essex towns no-go zones is driving their business to Basildon.

“Poor old Basildon is excluded from this zone,” he said.

Mr Cowley, 67, whose company has 170 cabs in their fleet, said: “You see them a lot at Festival Leisure Park, and more and more at the station.

“There are lots more at weekends, because people drive for Uber as a part time job.

“Our drivers are very disgruntled. A lot of them assume that Uber is illegal.

“We are having to go into new ventures and expand because of Uber, as in Basildon, business is getting tight.”

Uber’s decision to restrict their drivers from operating in Southend, Chelmsford and Rayleigh comes as Uber is poised to appeal a decision by Transport for London decision to withdraw its operating license. In order to appease TfL, Uber has responded to concerns about it operating outside London by restricting its business in certain areas.

The withdrawal of Uber from Southend has proved to be good news for the town’s minicab drivers, who report that business is now booming for them.

One said: “Down on the ranks now it’s much busier, and at weekends you notice it the most - I just hope they don’t come back.”

Meanwhile, in Basildon, taxi drivers are now struggling to eek out a living.

“Business is definitely slower,” said Peter, a driver for Laindon Taxis.

“A lot of our old passengers are now trying Uber out now for the first time, it’s like a new toy on their phone. People coming out of the station are now ignoring the taxi cabs waiting there, they walk right past us and hop straight into an Uber.”

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More Than 100 Uber Driver Have Been Accused Of Sexual Assault In Last 4 Years

More than 100 Uber drivers have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing their passengers in the past four years, shocking investigation reveals

More than 100 Uber drivers have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing their passengers in the past four years.

The drivers were arrested, are wanted by police, or have been named in civil suits relating to the incidents, a CNN investigation has found.

At least 31 drivers have been convicted for crimes ranging from forcible touching and false imprisonment to rape, and dozens of criminal and civil cases are pending.

An investigation has found that 103 drivers have been accused of sexually assaulting or verbally abusing passengers 

Last year Uber driver John David Sanchez was sentenced to 80 years in prison after pleading guilty to 34 charges including rape and sodomy of an unconscious person.

Sanchez was initially arrested about a month after a woman told police she was raped by Sanchez in February of 2016.

he was fired by Uber but investigators later found a number of other women said they were also sexually assaulted by him in 2007, 2011 and 2013, but had not reported the attacks.

CNN found that that Sanchez is just one of at least 103 Uber drivers in the U.S. who have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing their passengers in the past four years.

The network said its analysis came from a review of police reports, federal court records and county court databases for 20 major U.S. cities.

Five drivers across various states told CNN they were not provided any kind of sexual harassment or assault training.

In a statement, Uber said: 'These stories are horrific and our hearts go out to the victims.

Uber driver John David Sanchez was sentenced to 80 years in prison after pleading guilty to 34 charges including rape and sodomy of an unconscious person

'We worked with CNN to understand their findings and determined that Uber did 2.4 billion trips in the U.S. in that same period.

'But even one incident on our platform is too many which is why safety is Uber's top priority for 2018 and beyond.

'We recently strengthened our safety approach with new features including an emergency button, driver screening improvements, and the addition of the former Secretary of Homeland Security to head up Uber's Safety Advisory Board.

'This is just a start and we are committed to doing even more

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More Good News As It Looks like the gig is up for Uber in California

The California Supreme Court has issued a decision with major implications for Uber, the gig economy, and the question of worker classification more broadly. 

In Dynamex Operations West, Inc., the court holds – for purposes of California wage orders (which govern minimum wages, maximum hours, and meal and rest breaks) – that the appropriate test for determining whether a worker is an independent contractor is the so-called ABC test. 

Under that test, a hiring entity that wants to classify workers as independent contractors has the burden of establishing each of the following three things:

(A) that the worker is free from control and direction of the hirer in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of such work and in fact;

(B) that the worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business; and

(C) that the worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business of the same nature as the work performed for the hiring entity.

All three factors are difficult for a firm like Uber to establish (my view is that they lose on all three), but the second prong ought to be impossible for Uber to satisfy. Meeting prong (B) requires Uber to prove that its drivers are performing work outside the usual course of Uber’s business. Since Uber’s business is all about providing transportation services to passengers, driving people is in the usual course of Uber’s business. Indeed, the only way Uber can win on prong (B) is to convince a judge that it is not in the transportation business, but is instead a technology company. Uber has been making this argument, but the appropriate response to it has already been offered. The U.K Uber tribunal, for example, called the idea “faintly ridiculous.” Judge Chen deemed it “fatally flawed.” As Chen put it:

Uber is no more a “technology company” than Yellow Cab is a “technology company” because it uses CB radios to dispatch taxi cabs, John Deere is a “technology company” because it uses computers and robots to manufacture lawn mowers, or Domino Sugar is a “technology company” because it uses modern irrigation techniques to grow its sugar cane. Indeed, very few (if any) firms are not technology companies if one focuses solely on how they create or distribute their products. If, however, the focus is on the substance of what the firm actually does (e.g., sells cab rides, lawn mowers, or sugar), it is clear that Uber is most certainly a transportation company.

Being a transportation company, Uber will fail to satisfy prong (B). 

That means under the California Supreme Court’s test, Uber drivers are employees

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