Journalist-Tracking Uber Exec Gets Vague Hand Slap

Uber has disciplined the company executive accused of
using an internal tool to track a journalist's whereabouts, it
confirmed on Monday. The company offered no details
about the nature of that reprimand, however, or about the
possibility of taking similar action against another executive
who publicly suggested the possibility of targeting journalists
with a smear campaign .
"We have concluded our investigation and taken disciplinary
actions against NYC General Manager Josh Mohrer," the
company said in a statement provided to TechNewsWorld
by Sarah Maxwell.
Uber also has hired law firm Hogan Lovells to evaluate its
privacy policies and practices, including employee training
and compliance, it said, adding that that investigation is
already under way.
Uber's data privacy policy applies to all employees, the
company said last month. Access to and use of data is
permitted only for legitimate business purposes, and
violations result in disciplinary action, including the
possibilities of termination and legal action.
Uber, also was in the news Monday for hiring Goldman
Sachs to raise funds from the bank's high-net-worth
clients.
Uber did not respond to our request for further details.
Playing God
Attention focused on Mohrer last month when a BuzzFeed
reporter accused him of using an internal tool called "God
View" to look up her travel data as she made her way to
a meeting with him.
The company launched an investigation of Mohrer as a
result.
It also published its privacy policy for the first time, even
as it battled related accusations against Senior Vice
President Emil Michael for suggesting that Uber hire
opposition researchers to dig into journalists' personal lives.
Mohrer has been implicated in several other scandals at
Uber, but he remains in his current position , according to
Slate, which first reported on the company's disciplinary
action against him.
'They Can't Afford Any Misstep'
"If I am the guy that runs Uber, I have to take immediate
and decisive action showing exactly where my policy
stands," author and customer service expert Shep Hyken
told TechNewsWorld.
"Uber has to take a position with Mohrer that sets the tone
for the rest of the company as well as the public, because
the public is looking at this," he added.
While similar issues can plague any company, Uber is
under particularly close scrutiny, in part because of its
business model, Hyken pointed out. "They can't afford to
make any misstep or have any kind of negative publicity."
A Statement Not Made
"I'd like to think that this would cause a huge disruption in
their business, but I don't believe that will happen," said
Richard Laermer, CEO of RLM Public Relations .
"If this were a less arrogant company, they would fire the
people who made these horrific comments and did these
dirty deeds, and they would move on with new people at
the helm," he told TechNewsWorld. "That's called making
a statement. And having values."
Uber, however, is "a company that doesn't believe it owes
anything to anyone, or so it has shown," Laermer charged.
"I can't imagine any PR company getting them to do
anything."
'He Should Go'
In reality, "the only way they will take any real action is if
one of the cities starts to ban them," Laermer predicted.
"This company reminds me of a child who likes to see how
far he can go before his parents send him to his room
without dinner," he said.
"As a PR pro, I am shaking my head at its latest
shenanigans. It's sort of typical of them now, and that's a
sad state," Laermer observed. "Mohrer seems the worst of
the group. He's the most outrageous and the one who seems
the least repentant. He should go."

Source:Technewsworld