6 ms·

Is Uber really "one of the most powerful and litigious companies in the world"?? Journalists sure like their hyperbole.

sverige 10y ago
Is it hyperbole when a taxi company has someone with the title "Global Threat Intelligence"? I can picture Danny DeVito yelling at Judd Hirsch and Tony Danza now. "Find out about this lawyer!"
- CamperBob2 10y ago
  A company isn't paranoid if other companies really are out to get them.
  - sundvor 10y ago
    "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you". Joseph Heller, Catch-22
- Spooky23 10y ago
  It's funny how different the reaction is in forums like HN when you see a similar story focused on Walmart.
- meowface 10y ago
  That's actually a pretty common title for any medium or big company. Companies that sell potato chips or windows also likely have something akin to a head of Global Threat Intelligence, sometimes with that exact title. It generally covers detecting and mitigating fraud, cybercrime, hacktivists, espionage, and rogue insiders. However, I don't think it's typical (or appropriate) that this person or their team would research lawsuit plaintiffs or conduct such an "offensive" action.
madeofpalk 10y ago
While that might not be the right choice of words, there definitely is some sort of legal force behind Uber - they operate a service that is basically illegal in a fair deal of cities around there world and manage to come out on top most of the time.
- argonaut 10y ago
  Being incredibly popular with consumers and the public will do that for you.
  - ceejayoz 10y ago
    Stalking critics works, too. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/19/uber-investigates-top-executive-after-journalists-privacy-was-breached https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/19/uber-inve...
  - chii 10y ago
    Piracy is incredible popular, and yet I can't see it being some sort of legal force...
    - Rylinks 10y ago
      It's hard to pay lawyers from the proceeds of piracy.
      - intended 10y ago
        Thus refuting the original point about it being about popularity. Simply put - using money to create legal power and abuse it in turn is how uber works. The fact that their service is popular just helps in PR - people will rationalize egregiously shady behavior instead of condemning it. As I see it the message from the article is "don't get caught". A sharp contrast from a few decades ago when "don't be evil" was considered a basic standard.
      - xiaoma 10y ago
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

Is it hyperbole when a taxi company has someone with the title "Global Threat Intelligence"? I can picture Danny DeVito yelling at Judd Hirsch and Tony Danza now. "Find out about this lawyer!"

CamperBob2 10y ago
A company isn't paranoid if other companies really are out to get them.
- sundvor 10y ago
  "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you". Joseph Heller, Catch-22
Spooky23 10y ago
It's funny how different the reaction is in forums like HN when you see a similar story focused on Walmart.
meowface 10y ago
That's actually a pretty common title for any medium or big company. Companies that sell potato chips or windows also likely have something akin to a head of Global Threat Intelligence, sometimes with that exact title. It generally covers detecting and mitigating fraud, cybercrime, hacktivists, espionage, and rogue insiders. However, I don't think it's typical (or appropriate) that this person or their team would research lawsuit plaintiffs or conduct such an "offensive" action.

madeofpalk 10y ago

While that might not be the right choice of words, there definitely is some sort of legal force behind Uber - they operate a service that is basically illegal in a fair deal of cities around there world and manage to come out on top most of the time.

argonaut 10y ago
Being incredibly popular with consumers and the public will do that for you.
- ceejayoz 10y ago
  Stalking critics works, too. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/19/uber-investigates-top-executive-after-journalists-privacy-was-breached https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/19/uber-inve...
- chii 10y ago
  Piracy is incredible popular, and yet I can't see it being some sort of legal force...
  - Rylinks 10y ago
    It's hard to pay lawyers from the proceeds of piracy.
    - intended 10y ago
      Thus refuting the original point about it being about popularity. Simply put - using money to create legal power and abuse it in turn is how uber works. The fact that their service is popular just helps in PR - people will rationalize egregiously shady behavior instead of condemning it. As I see it the message from the article is "don't get caught". A sharp contrast from a few decades ago when "don't be evil" was considered a basic standard.
    - xiaoma 10y ago

deleted 10y ago

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