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Wow. I've been taking a break from most computer stuff over the last week or so. What'd Uber do that they're now getting targeted with speculative smear piec

Wow. I've been taking a break from most computer stuff over the last week or so. What'd Uber do that they're now getting targeted with speculative smear pieces?

danso 12y ago
One of Uber's exec was mouthing off against tech reporters at what he thought was an off-the-record dinner: http://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/uber-executive-suggests-digging-up-dirt-on-journalists http://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/uber-executive-suggests-dig... Obviously, that kind of alleged discussion is not going to win the hearts of the journalistic class, but Uber's problem is that it had a reported history of using user data for unexpected purposes, like to use the God View as decoration at a company party. One of the key points in the OP that I hadn't seen before is an anonymous Uber interviewee who claimed that he/she had total access to the Uber customer database as part of the interview...and for hours after the interview. I agree with some people here, that this seems like an overblown story because Uber isn't any more an attractive data center than Google/Facebook/Github/etc...the problem is that what we know of how Uber has disseminated the data within the company indicates an almost certain lack of prioritization of access control. And many of the employees at Uber being human, it's only a matter of time before someone gets phished and something like an attachable Excel file of intranet-passwords is found (or other manifestation of sloppy IT-security practices/work-arounds). And I'd say Uber deserves a little additional scrutiny...its data may not be as valuable as Google or Facebook's, but it could very well have the lowest focus on operational-security compared to companies in its tier of valuations.
- GrinningFool 12y ago
  Very interesting, thanks for replying and the link. While I agree that given the nature of the data they capture, it makes sense that they receive a little additional scrutiny -- this more feels like someone had the idea of how the data could be misused, then discussed the idea with a various security folks who (unsurprisingly) said, "Well.. yeah, now that you mention it, this COULD be a problem." In other words, feels like the writer was making the news here and not reporting it. And to an extent that's legitimate. I question the need to approach it in this way though - making a one-sided story of it instead of working with Uber to see if they're aware of this as a potential issue, determining what steps they're taking to prevent it, etc... As far as how Uber is using the data they've acquired - it seems they've hit that painful point that every long-term startup does. They've evolved past the point of a small group of folks with an idea, and need to adjust to a new reality. That includes reining in some of their "ooh, pretty data! let's play with it!" impulses, because of the privacy implications and because of the implicit trust their users place in them. I would expect a couple of high profile hires and some policy statements to be forthcoming as they mature.
  - GrinningFool 12y ago
    Edit: heh, as I catch up I see that last is already happening - http://www.buzzfeed.com/johanabhuiyan/amid-user-concerns-uber-rolls-out-its-privacy-policy http://www.buzzfeed.com/johanabhuiyan/amid-user-concerns-ube...
djloche 12y ago
( Uber v Lift v (other competitors in this space) ) v Existing Taxi industry. There are billions of dollars in play here, and this isn't the anywhere close to the first time people are fighting dirty.

Wow. I've been taking a break from most computer stuff over the last week or so. What'd Uber do that they're now getting targeted with speculative smear pieces?

danso 12y ago

One of Uber's exec was mouthing off against tech reporters at what he thought was an off-the-record dinner: http://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/uber-executive-suggests-digging-up-dirt-on-journalists http://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/uber-executive-suggests-dig... Obviously, that kind of alleged discussion is not going to win the hearts of the journalistic class, but Uber's problem is that it had a reported history of using user data for unexpected purposes, like to use the God View as decoration at a company party. One of the key points in the OP that I hadn't seen before is an anonymous Uber interviewee who claimed that he/she had total access to the Uber customer database as part of the interview...and for hours after the interview. I agree with some people here, that this seems like an overblown story because Uber isn't any more an attractive data center than Google/Facebook/Github/etc...the problem is that what we know of how Uber has disseminated the data within the company indicates an almost certain lack of prioritization of access control. And many of the employees at Uber being human, it's only a matter of time before someone gets phished and something like an attachable Excel file of intranet-passwords is found (or other manifestation of sloppy IT-security practices/work-arounds). And I'd say Uber deserves a little additional scrutiny...its data may not be as valuable as Google or Facebook's, but it could very well have the lowest focus on operational-security compared to companies in its tier of valuations.

GrinningFool 12y ago
Very interesting, thanks for replying and the link. While I agree that given the nature of the data they capture, it makes sense that they receive a little additional scrutiny -- this more feels like someone had the idea of how the data could be misused, then discussed the idea with a various security folks who (unsurprisingly) said, "Well.. yeah, now that you mention it, this COULD be a problem." In other words, feels like the writer was making the news here and not reporting it. And to an extent that's legitimate. I question the need to approach it in this way though - making a one-sided story of it instead of working with Uber to see if they're aware of this as a potential issue, determining what steps they're taking to prevent it, etc... As far as how Uber is using the data they've acquired - it seems they've hit that painful point that every long-term startup does. They've evolved past the point of a small group of folks with an idea, and need to adjust to a new reality. That includes reining in some of their "ooh, pretty data! let's play with it!" impulses, because of the privacy implications and because of the implicit trust their users place in them. I would expect a couple of high profile hires and some policy statements to be forthcoming as they mature.
- GrinningFool 12y ago
  Edit: heh, as I catch up I see that last is already happening - http://www.buzzfeed.com/johanabhuiyan/amid-user-concerns-uber-rolls-out-its-privacy-policy http://www.buzzfeed.com/johanabhuiyan/amid-user-concerns-ube...

djloche 12y ago

( Uber v Lift v (other competitors in this space) ) v Existing Taxi industry. There are billions of dollars in play here, and this isn't the anywhere close to the first time people are fighting dirty.