Uber’s ‘Greyball’ Program Lands Company In Trouble — Under Criminal Investigation

Uber used the Greyball software to hide cars from regulators conducting sting operations on drivers in areas Uber was not yet licensed to operate. The software was a defence according to Uber, from those wanting to "violate its terms of service".

Uber claims that the software tool was to cut down on fraud and safeguard its drivers from taxi union protesters. The company claims that Greyball was used for this purpose primarily.

The program would identify suspicious users, based on credit card information, location, or the type of device being used to access the app. Uber went as far as checking credit card data against credit unions and even checking a person's personal employment using social media.

Once a particular customer is ‘Greyballed', as how the company calls it, Uber would show a different version of its app, featuring fake cabs that would not respond.