Uber paid hackers to delete data of 57 mn users, hid fact from public: CEO

Uber Technologies Inc failed to disclose a massive breach last year that exposed the data of some 57 million users of the ride-sharing service, the company's new chief executive officer said on Tuesday.

Discovery of the company's handling of the incident led to the departure of two employees who led Uber's response to the incident, said Dara Khosrowshahi, who was named CEO in August following the departure of founder Travis Kalanick.

Khosrowshahi said he had only recently learnt of the matter himself.

The company's admission that it failed to disclose the breach comes as Uber seeks to recover from a series of crises that culminated in the Kalanick's ouster in June.

"None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it," Khosrowshahi said in a blog post.

According to the company's account, two individuals downloaded data from a web-based server at another company that provided Uber with cloud-computing services.

The data contained names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers of some 57 million Uber users around the world. The hackers also downloaded names and driver's licence numbers of some 600,000 of the company's US drivers, Khosrowshahi said in a blog post.
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Uber CEO Khosrowshahi to meet London transport chief in bid to keep licence

Uber's new global boss Dara Khosrowshahi will meet London's transport regulator on Tuesday as the taxi hailing app fights to keep its licence in one of its most important foreign markets.

Transport for London (TfL), which runs and regulates the capital's transport system, shocked Uber last month by deeming it unfit to run a taxi service and refusing to renew its licence.

TfL cited the firm's approach to reporting serious criminal offences and background checks on drivers.

Reuters reported on Monday that Uber's top boss in Britain, Jo Bertram, would be quitting in the next few weeks to take up an undisclosed new role outside the company.

Uber's British management has been criticised by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is also chairman of TfL. Khan said the firm needed to spend less time hiring "an army of PR experts and an army of lawyers" and instead address issues raised by TfL.

Khan, a centre-left politician from Britain's opposition Labour Party, approved Tuesday's meeting between Khosrowshahi and TfL Commissioner Mike Brown, who is in charge of TfL's day-to-day operations.
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