An international media investigation into how the ride-sharing app Uber gained access to world leaders, misled investigators, and took advantage of violence against its drivers in the struggle for supremacy exposed Mark MacGann, a former top Uber lobbyist, as the leak’s source on Monday.
A day after the investigative report divulged details about how Uber built a massive influence to gain global domination, MacGann on Monday came out as the whistleblower. The British newspaper The Guardian received hundreds of incriminating papers he disclosed about Uber.
Between 2014 and 2016, MacGann oversaw Uber’s lobbying activities in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He reportedly told the UK-based newspaper that he made the decision to speak out because he thought Uber had violated the law in a number of different nations and had misled consumers about the company’s economic model.
In an interview with The Guardian, the 52-year-old said: ‘I was the one talking to governments, I was the one pushing this with the media, I was the one telling people that they should change the rules because drivers were going to benefit and people were going to get so much economic opportunity.’
‘When that turned out not to be the case — we had actually sold people a lie — how can you have a clear conscience if you don’t stand up and own your contribution to how people are being treated today?’ he added.
The corporation recruited world leaders to influence legislation and aid in tax evasion, as revealed in ‘The Uber Files.’ According to the investigation, the corporation engaged in potentially illegal and morally problematic behaviour.
The investigation is based on 124,000 records of private texts, emails, invoices, briefing notes, presentations, and other documents exchanged by high-ranking Uber executives, bureaucrats from almost 30 nations, and international leaders.
The documents revealed that company leaders used the sometimes violent pushback from the taxi industry against drivers to attract support and elude regulatory authorities early in the company’s history.
Meanwhile, Uber has denied all the accusations against it, including obstructing justice, saying it had changed since the departure of former boss Travis Kalanick, who was accused of creating a toxic workplace culture.
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