Emil Michael, SVP of Business at Uber, suggested that the company should field a team to investigate and smear journalist Sarah Lacy, who has been critical of Uber’s misogynistic practices, at a private dinner party last Friday. After first complaining that those comments were off the record, Michael gave a big-city apology and was given a pathetic wrist slap by Uber’s Head Bro Travis Kalanick. And just to show that Uber totally takes customer safety and privacy seriously, today they rolled out a brand new privacy policy while reiterating that we have always been at war with Eastasia. Lacy is equal parts scared and furious while Logan Green, CEO of Uber-rival Lyft, was circumspect:
Actually, it really is about ethics in journalism
I can’t believe I’m talking about PandoDaily being on the right side of an ethics discussion but that’s the world we live in. IMHO: Uber is an unprofessional, hair-triggered menace to society that rose to a $30 billion valuation by exploiting inefficiencies created by government regulation of taxis and car services.
As an industry, we feel validated by Uber’s success because we worship at the altar of disruption but we feel no personal responsibility for allowing companies like this to continue to prosper. How far is too far?
Periodically yours,
Bob Sherron
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