The ride-share giant’s promise of urban transportation was always an illusion, built on the back of cheap venture capital money, worker exploitation and taking advantage of regulatory loopholes.
has shone a light on the company’s ugly past and the reality that its promise of urban transportation was always an illusion, built on the back of cheap venture capital money, worker exploitation and taking advantage of regulatory loopholes.
Uber grew quickly and in Australia deployed a tactic it used again and again for entering new markets: launch, drum up a loyal customer base and then aggressively lobby for new laws to be passed making its services legal. And taxi drivers, who paid around $500,000 per licence plate, were left in the gutter.
Donnelly wasn’t exaggerating. Leaked files revealed senior Uber executives ordered the use of a “kill switch” to prevent police and regulators from accessing its data, as part of a bid to thwart law enforcement when its services were still illegal. “I’m very proud of the team that launched Uber in Australia. It all started with great engineers who invented great technology ... The iPhone was still new and Uber was one of the first apps to connect with the real world around you.”
Drivers were a diverse bunch, with many taking on driving as a side hustle while studying or working full-time in a different role.
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